Photo: Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images
The sudden death of Hayden Panettiere, known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville, has been officially ruled an accident caused by a combination of drugs, according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office. On August 16, emergency responders were called to Judson Mill, a luxury apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina, after a 911 call reported a cardiac arrest. Paramedics attempted to revive Panettiere, but she was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m.
The coroner’s office announced Tuesday (September 22) that Panettiere died from the toxic effects of fentanyl, 4-ANPP (a synthetic opioid precursor), Alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax), Methocarbamol (a muscle relaxer), and Quetiapine (an antipsychotic). The manner of death was deemed accidental, with no signs of trauma or foul play found during the autopsy or initial police investigation.
At the time of her death, Panettiere was with her boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother. Hickerson reportedly showed police a bag of medication that Panettiere had been taking. The Drug Enforcement Administration has joined the ongoing investigation, which now spans South Carolina and Los Angeles, to determine how the substances reached Panettiere.
Panettiere, 36, had spoken publicly about her struggles with addiction and mental health in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, published in May. She described the pressures of childhood stardom, postpartum depression, and her battle with substance use.
The actress is survived by her daughter, whom she shared with former fiancé, boxer Wladimir Klitschko. Fans have gathered outside Judson Mill to leave flowers and messages in her memory. A statement released by her family called her “an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her—and to the millions who watched her onscreen."
Investigations into the source of the drugs and the circumstances around her death continue. Authorities are reviewing Panettiere’s recent communications and travel as part of their efforts.