Hayden Panettiere Recalls Being Given 'Happy Pills' at 16 in Resurfaced Video

Before she was old enough to vote, Hayden Panettiere says someone on her team was handing her "happy pills" to get her through promotional interviews at premieres.

Hayden shared the disturbing account during a 2022 appearance on "Red Table Talk" ... and the clip is resurfacing today in the wake of her sudden death.

She recalled being 16 and feeling drained before a "Heroes" premiere when a member of her team handed her a pill to perk her up. Hayden said she didn't view it as a drug or question it because she trusted the person.

Looking back ... Hayden believed the pill was similar to Adderall and said it came from Mexico -- something she acknowledged should have raised an immediate red flag.

She said the pill gave her a boost and made her feel happy and eager to do interviews ... though she didn't feel high or out of control.

Hayden spoke openly about her substance abuse struggles ... revealing she had been hooked on opioids and alcohol for years ... and that her drinking once became so severe she was hospitalized with jaundice and warned her liver could fail.

As we reported ... Hayden was found unresponsive Sunday inside a Greenville, South Carolina apartment after traveling there with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson.

A friend called 911 to report Hayden was in cardiac arrest, and dispatch audio indicates the caller suspected an overdose. Paramedics attempted to resuscitate her, but she was pronounced dead at 2:32 PM.