The Greenville County Coroner’s Office announced on Tuesday that the death of actress Hayden Panettiere was caused by the toxic effects of fentanyl combined with a mix of other medications, the New York Times reports. Officials have officially ruled the death an accident, noting that an autopsy revealed no signs of trauma that contributed to the outcome.
The report from the coroner indicates that, in addition to fentanyl, Ms. Panettiere had alprazolam, methocarbamol, and quetiapine in her system at the time of her death. These drugs serve different medical purposes, with alprazolam acting as a treatment for anxiety, methocarbamol functioning as a muscle relaxant, and quetiapine being an antipsychotic often used for bipolar disorder, depression, or schizophrenia.
Fentanyl remains a major factor in the rise of overdose deaths across the United States. Data analysis shows it was responsible for a third of deaths among Americans between the ages of 25 and 34 in 2022.
Panittere is another life claimed by fentanyl
Paramedics were called to an apartment building in Greenville, South Carolina, on August 16. Emergency responders provided advanced cardiac life support and attempted resuscitation, but the actress, who was 36, was pronounced dead.
She was best known for her television roles on Heroes and Nashville. At the time of the incident, she was with Brian Hickerson, her on-and-off boyfriend. While he has served jail time for previous abuse of Ms. Panettiere, authorities have not accused him of any wrongdoing regarding her death. A police report noted that Mr. Hickerson showed a responding officer a bag of medications that the actress had been taking.
Ms. Panettiere had been open about her personal struggles with drugs, alcohol, and chronic pain. In her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, which was released in May, she wrote, “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Addicts aren’t patient.” She continued, “When we’re shaking, nauseated, anxious, lonely or depressed, we need instant relief that sends us into that pain-free place called denial.”
Her hairstylist, Erick Orellana, mentioned that she frequently complained of back pain. He stated, “It was a back injury that was making it hard for her to walk.” The actress had documented a history of injuries throughout her career, including being bucked off a zebra while filming Racing Stripes and falling multiple times while training for Ice Princess. She also mentioned in an interview that she had suffered a serious injury where two vertebrae in her neck were smashed.
The actress shared that her history with substances began during her childhood. She described being given pills by her team at an industry event to provide energy, which she referred to as the gateway that led her toward the good of pharmaceuticals and the downfall of addiction.
Following her death, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration joined the local investigation. While the agency is typically known for large-scale operations against drug cartels, it does assist local law enforcement in specific cases.
Published: Sep 22, 2026 03:35 pm