United Kingdom, Aug. 18 -- Hayden Panettiere appeared emotional and was reported to have struggled with her speech during what became her final public appearance - a Los Angeles book event less than three months before her sudden death at 36.

The Heroes and Nashville star appeared at the Harmony Gold Theater on May 26 to discuss and sign copies of her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, which had been published a week earlier.

Hayden was found unresponsive at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday, August 16, and pronounced dead after emergency crews attempted to resuscitate her.

An autopsy has since found no trauma contributing to her death, while the cause and manner remain undetermined pending further investigation.

A so...