Hayden Panettiere’s Death Ruled Accidental, Involved Fentanyl

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Actor Hayden Panettiere died from an accidental overdose involving several drugs, including fentanyl, according to a South Carolina coroner’s statement Tuesday.

Panettiere, 36, was found unresponsive Aug. 16 in an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina. Her on-and-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were at the residence.

The Greenville County Coroner’s Office said Panettiere’s system contained fentanyl, a chemical byproduct of the drug and alprazolam, an anti-anxiety medication. Toxicology testing also detected a muscle relaxer and a medication used to treat major depression and other serious mental health disorders.

The coroner’s office did not provide additional details from the autopsy of the former child star.

Kasey Kitchen, a publicist for Panettiere’s family, said in a statement to The Associated Press that “the investigation is still ongoing and the case is complex.”