The cause of death for Hayden Panettiere has been officially confirmed more than a month after the Heroes, Nashville, and Scream actress died at age 36.
According to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office, Panettiere died from the toxic effects of fentanyl, 4-ANPP, alprazolam, methocarbamol and quetiapine. Her death has been ruled an accident.
Panettiere died Aug. 16 while temporarily staying at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina. A 911 call reporting a cardiac arrest was received at approximately 1:51 p.m. First responders attempted advanced life-support measures, but she was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m.
An autopsy found no trauma that contributed to her death.
The toxicology findings now provide the first official answer after weeks of speculation surrounding the circumstances of her death.
Earlier reporting had focused on the possibility that Panettiere had taken a counterfeit or black-market pill containing fentanyl. TMZ reported that investigators believed she may have taken what she thought was oxycodone, although that theory had not been established as her official cause of death at the time.
Federal investigators also searched Panettiere’s Los Angeles home after her death as part of an inquiry into possible illicit narcotics, according to previous reports.
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Hayden Panettiere, star of ‘Heroes,’ ‘Nashville’ and ‘Scream,’ dies at 36
The official ruling does not assign criminal responsibility and simply classifies the manner of death as accidental.
Panettiere was one of television’s most recognizable stars of the 2000s and 2010s, breaking through as cheerleader Claire Bennet on NBC’s Heroes before starring as country singer Juliette Barnes opposite Connie Britton on ABC’s Nashville. She also appeared in the Scream franchise and films including Remember the Titans and I Love You, Beth Cooper.
Friends, family and former co-stars gathered Sept. 19 in Malibu for a celebration of her life. Among those paying tribute were Connie Britton, Charles Esten, Ruby Rose, Evan Ross and others. Esten also performed during the service.
Panettiere is survived by her daughter, Kaya.
Her death brought a sudden end to a career that stretched from child acting through network television stardom and into a later return to the Scream franchise.
Now, more than a month later, the coroner’s ruling has formally closed one part of the story: Panettiere’s death was accidental, caused by the combined toxic effects of multiple drugs.
