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"Nashville" and "Heroes" Actress, Hayden Panettiere, Dead at 36; U.S. Navy Destroyer Spend Four Days Without Power in South China Sea; CENTCOM Chief Visits USS Lincoln Amid Morale Concerns; Prosecution Rests in Lindsay Clancy Trial; Four Renaissance Masterpieces From 1400's Stolen From Italian Museum; Exclusive Model of Ferrari's First Electric Car, Luce, Sells for Record $40 Million; U.S. To Release Findings in Case Against Mexican Strawberry Growers; Trump Threatens Oman as U.S.-Iran 60-day Agreement Expires; Supreme Court Rejects Trump's Latest Appeal in E. Jean Carroll Lawsuit. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired August 17, 2026 - 13:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[13:33:44]

ERICA HILL, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": We do have an update for you in the tragic death of actress Hayden Panettiere. The 36-year- old was found unresponsive in a South Carolina apartment complex. Autopsy details just being released now.

She, of course, rose to fame in the early 2000s with iconic roles in the T.V. series "Heroes" and "Nashville." She began her career as a young child, appearing in blockbusters including "Remember the Titans" and "A Bug's Life." She took a step back, though, from the spotlight to deal with addiction and mental health challenges and recently released a memoir describing those struggles and also speaking publicly about the pain of losing her brother.

She shared this on the Jay Shetty podcast in the months before her death.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAYDEN PANETTIERE, ACTRESS: I finally feel like I have shaken off all of this darkness and this negativity. I feel like I have a lot more life to live.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Joining me now is Emily Longeretta. She's Director of Features at Variety. Emily, thanks for being with us.

So just getting some of these details. We're learning that the autopsy is complete. The cause and manner of her death, though, is still pending, according to the county coroner. This really shocked so many. How is she being remembered today?

[13:35:00] EMILY LONGERETTA, DIRECTOR OF FEATURES, VARIETY: Absolutely. As you said, it's completely shocking at only 36-years-old. I think a lot of people are remembering her from what she had said in her memoir. As you kind of mentioned, she had talked a lot about the struggles that she went through, through her career.

She's been acting since she was five-years-old and really kind of feels almost as if we all kind of grew up with her because she has been on our screens for so long, both small screen and big screen. And she, you know, recently said in her book that in the recent years, after a lot of the darkest she's gone through and the struggles, that she found a way to love herself and that she hopes that other people, if they read her book, could also do that. So I think a lot of people have been posting, you know, we'll remember that side of her.

HILL: And even what we just heard there from that clip we played off when she was on that podcast, on Jay Shetty's podcast, saying that she felt like she'd finally gotten rid of the negativity and the darkness. She was really candid in that memoir reflecting on the fame, but also the postpartum depression, addiction, recovery, domestic abuse.

Can you tell us a little bit more about that memoir, what she revealed, and frankly, how she was when she was out there on that tour talking about it and being so open with people?

LONGERETTA: Absolutely. I mean, the book really chronicled a lot of the big moments of her life from, you know, being in "Heroes" and the "Nashville" and, you know, kind of growing up in the spotlight. And she talked a lot in that -- in that memoir and on the press tour that followed about, you know, when she was exposed to the Hollywood scene at, you know, 14, 15, being at parties, being given drugs, being really experiencing adult matters at such a young age that she didn't know how to handle.

And of course that led to a bit of substance abuse. And ultimately, she went into rehab in 2020. She got a lot of treatment and, you know, she has a child who unfortunately she had to give away custody for, and there's been a lot of struggles. And so on that press tour, I mean, she really opened up about how hard it's been and how she didn't have the best people in her corner and the best people defending her, but ultimately she found her way back.

And, you know, she also spoke a lot about the loss of her brother. And she said that, you know, she had a lot of guilt from that because he was her younger brother and she felt it was her job to look after him. So she felt really, really awful that when he tragically died a few years ago, it ended up kind of putting her on another spiral.

HILL: She -- you mentioned her daughter. She did opt to give up full custody, but from what I'd read, the two had a pretty good relationship. I think her daughter's 11 now. Is that right?

LONGERETTA: Yes. 11. Yes.

HILL: Just being so open about that is a really difficult thing to do. We know how hard it can be for women to talk about postpartum depression, even though there is such an important movement to allow women more freedom to open up about that, to try to de-stigmatize it, to get rid of that shame because it is, frankly for so many people, it is something that they deal with.

How much do you think people took away from those conversations from her being so candid and so open about those particular struggles?

LONGERETTA: I think exactly what you said. I mean, it is a time that there's this -- a lot of this shame around that, that she kind of, you know, owned, you know, that she had made mistakes, but also that it was a struggle that so many go through and it -- you know, unfortunately, she did struggle with some mental health issues and being open about it and hoping that that story would help others feel less shame and help others realize that they're not alone.

And, you know, ultimately giving up full custody, but still keeping a relationship with her daughter, you know, was very, very hard for her to admit. She said many times, she didn't know if she wanted to put that in the book. She didn't know if she wanted to really talk about that because that is so hard and does have a lot of judgment that comes along with it. But she always kind of kept going back to the fact that if it helps others feel better, then that's what we'll focus on.

And if it helps maybe, you know, one person even just feel a little less shame for what they're going through and know that they're human and that it's normal, whether you're famous or not, to go through, you know, ups and downs, then it's OK. And so I think that's kind of what people want to take away from this more than anything right now, I mean, regardless of the sad details around her death.

HILL: Yeah, absolutely. Emily, really appreciate it. Thank you.

LONGERETTA: Thank you.

HILL: Just ahead here, no working toilets, galley services, no air conditioning. Why one Navy destroyer spent four days without power last month in the blistering heat of the South China Sea.

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[13:44:04]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": We're learning new details today about another U.S. warship experiencing major problems during an overseas deployment. The USS Destroyer Benfold spent four days last month without working toilets, galley services and air conditioning in the blistering heat of the South China Sea after the warship lost power.

A Navy spokesperson tells CNN the incident was due to an engineering failure aboard the warship. It comes, obviously, as the U.S. Navy is under increasing scrutiny following reports of low morale and mental health concerns aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln during its nearly nine- month deployment in support of the war on Iran. Let's discuss with Dr. David Shulkin. He's a former Veterans Affairs Secretary under President Trump. Secretary, thank you so much for sharing part of your afternoon with us. There are a lot of factors at play for the sailors aboard the Lincoln, right? There's repetitive work, the up-and-down food supply and the quality of it, a lack of port visits, and then on top of that, this near-record-breaking deployment away from home with no firm return date.

[13:45:00]

What does that kind of uncertainty do to young sailors?

DR. DAVID SHULKIN, FORMER VETERANS AFFAIRS SECRETARY UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP: Boris, first of all, I'm glad to be here. Many people are seeing the complexity and the stressful conditions of these missions. Our men and women who are sailors in the Navy have to perform their missions 24 hours a day, seven days a week, no matter what these conditions are.

SANCHEZ: Secretary, can you hear me?

SHULKIN: Yes, I can.

SANCHEZ: Oh, great. It just seemed like we were having technical issues for a moment there. So, I wonder what your message would be to those sailors because it seems like they're dealing with increasingly difficult conditions, and as of yet, there's no firm date for them to return.

SHULKIN: Yeah, I think what we're seeing is the complexity of these missions right now, and certainly when you have extended deployments, when you have maintenance issues on these ships, it only adds to the stress. But the sailors who are on these ships are continuing their missions, and that stress, though, does add up.

And it's so important that we provide the right type of environment for the men and women who are serving so that they can go through their jobs, and they can perform their missions without these additional stressors being put upon them.

SANCHEZ: CENTCOM notably says the Lincoln has among the lowest mental health case numbers of any carrier in the fleet. There are resources on board to help, but as one sailor told my colleague, Pam Brown, there remains a stigma around getting help, and there's a gap between reported cases and what's happening on a ship this size during a deployment like this. What can be done about that gap and making it easier for those who need it to seek help?

SHULKIN: Yeah, Boris, I think that's exactly right. Often, these types of mental health issues don't show up immediately, or people are afraid while they're performing their jobs to seek out the help that they are. But if you don't address it at the time, and if you don't do the proper assessments and make sure that that stigma is not there so people can reach out for help, these issues come up later.

And that's why we're seeing these issues with our veterans decades after sometimes they've served. They don't go away. They do need to be addressed. And I think it was important for Admiral Cooper, the Chief Officer in the Navy, to personally show up to be able to see what was happening in real time, to be able to listen to what's going on, and to frankly acknowledge some of the deficiencies that are there so that action can be taken.

SANCHEZ: Could more, in your eyes, have been done to prevent those deficiencies, to nip this in the bud before we saw this play out?

SHULKIN: Yeah, look, first of all, these deployments are tough enough as they are, but to prolong deployments certainly is one of those stressors that could be avoided. Fortunately, the USS George Washington is now headed to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln. It won't be there until probably the first week in September, but you would like to see that those extended deployments don't occur, particularly in conflict situations and in this type of warfare, which is missile and drone warfare, which is very, very stressful because of the uncertainty of when an attack could occur.

So avoiding that in the first place is important, but certainly making these types of assessments to be able to address the issues and to get real leadership on board to make those assessments are, I think, are lessons in the past that we know, and certainly more could be done, but it is good to see that now the attention is focused in the right place and that these actions are being taken.

SANCHEZ: When you talk about real leadership, Secretary, I wonder who you think should be held accountable. Should it be the acting Navy Secretary, Hung Cao? Should it be Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth? Where do you think the buck stops?

SHULKIN: Well, I think this is in the command of control in the Navy. I do think the Navy Secretary has come out and acknowledged these deficiencies. I do think a visit by Admiral Cooper was a very good move, and I think that there is an acknowledgement that more can be done and that certain actions are being taken.

So I think all of this attention on our sailors who are over there and shedding some light on the difficult circumstances in which they're fulfilling this mission has been very important, and it's a reminder that these issues can't be ignored, that these issues have to be taken seriously, and that these are one of those invisible wounds of war if you don't address the mental health issues up front and early.

[13:50:16]

SANCHEZ: Secretary David Shulkin, we have to leave the conversation there. Thanks so much for the time.

SHULKIN: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Erica?

HILL: All right, let's get you caught up on some of the other headlines we are watching this hour. The prosecution resting in the Lindsay Clancy trial after calling more than 70 witnesses, including Clancy's ex-husband. The Massachusetts woman is accused of, quote, "intentionally, rationally, and swiftly strangling her three young children." The defense argues Clancy was suffering from extreme mental illness and was not properly treated by her medical providers.

Her attorneys began calling their first witnesses this afternoon. The defense phase of the trial is expected to last multiple weeks.

An art heist in Italy is being considered so large, so major, if you will, that one cultural official is calling it simply a disaster. Thieves stole four Renaissance-era works by Antonello da Messina. Those are more than 500-years-old, one art expert valuing the pieces at around $80 million.

An Italian news outlet reports the thieves bypassed security systems on Saturday night at a museum in Messina, Sicily, taking off with three of the five surviving panels of the San Gregorio Polyptych. Now, a fourth piece that depicted the Virgin Mary and Jesus had been removed from an armored display case.

And check this out, the exclusive custom-built version of Ferrari's new electric car, selling for a whopping $40 million, setting a new record for the most expensive car ever sold at auction, 36 times or so. The original estimate, which was $1.1 million, according to Sotheby's, which held the charity auction.

So the E.V., the Luce, sports a bubble-like design, as you see there, radically different, of course, from Ferrari's typical angular style, publicly available versions of the car. Here's the good news. You won't need $40 million for them. You won't even need $1.1 million. All you need is a cool $640,000.

The first deliveries are expected later this year. Let us know when yours comes in. Boris and I would love a ride.

Still to come here, the Supreme Court responding to President Trump's last-ditch effort to deny a multi-million-dollar payment to E. Jean Carroll, what the court said.

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[13:57:18]

HILL: Strawberries, now the latest front line in President Trump's tariff war. So either today or tomorrow, the Commerce Department is expected to release preliminary findings in a complaint by some U.S. growers against their Mexican counterparts. The result could mean strawberries are going to cost you a whole lot more and could perhaps become yet another bitter pill for consumers ahead of the midterm election.

CNN Economics Reporter, Elisabeth Buchwald is joining us now with the details. So the complaint itself, this comes from a group of Florida strawberry producers. What are they alleging that Mexico has done that's unfair?

ELISABETH BUCHWALD, CNN ECONOMICS REPORTER: Yeah, that's correct. So what they're saying is that Mexican strawberry growers are coming in and undercutting their pricing and making it so that they can't sell strawberries for as much. And here's the deal. This carton of strawberries is from California, but we are also in August. And that's typically what happens. We get most of our strawberries domestically.

And as we move to the winter months, we get more of that from Mexico. And in fact, 98% of all strawberry imports are from Mexico. And 80% of those come during the winter months. So if this investigation comes back and says that tariffs are needed to mitigate this, we could see higher prices.

HILL: Higher prices. So, I mean, how high are we talking?

BUCHWALD: Well, here's the thing. With the winter months, we already see prices go up. It's a pretty consistent trend when you compare January to July, every single year that happens. And it's gotten worse over these couple of years because there have been some winters where there's been freezing temperatures.

So it's really hard to say how high prices could go. But we do know with produce that retailers are working on very thin margins. So they don't really have as much of an ability to absorb tariffs.

HILL: Wow. Well, to get another thing to brace for, I guess. Maybe it's better if you buy frozen. We'll see. Elisabeth, really appreciate it. Thank you.

A new hour of "CNN News Central" starts right now.

SANCHEZ: The U.S. and Iran blowing through the deadline to reach a deal. And now, President Trump is threatening to bomb an ally if it gets in the way of U.S. efforts in the Strait of Hormuz.

And denied again, the Supreme Court rejecting President Trump's long- shot bid to reverse that $5.6 million payment award to E. Jean Carroll.

HILL: And it's a landmark trial involving children and social media addiction. We'll take a closer look at what's at stake as tech giant Meta heads to court for a fierce fight.

We're following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to "CNN News Central."

President Trump threatening a U.S. ally after his 60-day memorandum --