Hayden Panettiere’s death at 36 has officially been classified as accidental, with police confirming Wednesday that the actress died from a drug overdose two months ago.
The Greenville Police Department said: “Based on the Medical Examiner’s determination and the findings of the investigation, Hayden Panettiere’s death has been ruled accidental.”
According to the statement obtained by CNN , the ruling formally concludes the police investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
Panettiere was found dead on August 16 at a home in Greenville, South Carolina. Her on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother, Zach, were present when she was pronounced dead.
A spokesman for the Greenville County Coroner’s Office told The Daily Mail last month that the actress died from the “toxic effects” of several substances, including fentanyl.
Fentanyl is an extremely potent opioid—around 50 times stronger than heroin—and even a few grains can prove fatal.
Hayden Panettiere died at age 36 from a drug overdose that has now been ruled accidental, police confirmed Wednesday, two months after her sudden passing. She is pictured in Los Angeles in 2022
Brian Hickerson and his brother, Zach, were reportedly at the residence when Panettiere was pronounced dead. They are pictured in 2018
The coroner’s office said an autopsy was conducted by a board-certified forensic pathologist, who found no signs of trauma that contributed to Panettiere’s death.
The spokesman added: “The cause of death has been ruled as toxic effects of fentanyl, 4-ANPP, Alprazolam, Methocarbamol, and Quetiapine. The manner of death has been ruled accident.”
The statement concluded: “This case is administratively closed by the Greenville County Coroner’s Office.”
Methocarbamol is a prescription muscle relaxant typically used for short-term muscle pain. Quetiapine, sold under the brand name Seroquel, is an antipsychotic medication prescribed for conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder.
Alprazolam, better known as Xanax, is prescribed for anxiety and panic disorders. The chemical 4-ANPP is used as a primary building block in the production of illicit fentanyl.
Last week, sources told TMZ that investigators believed Panettiere had died after taking a single oxycodone pill contaminated with fentanyl.
The outlet reported that Panettiere had a longtime drug dealer in Los Angeles, from whom she illegally obtained narcotics including oxycodone, according to insiders.
Authorities reportedly believe Panettiere took several drugs purchased in Los Angeles the day before her death, prior to traveling to South Carolina. She was found dead there the following day.
In a statement released last month, Panettiere’s representative said: “As reported yesterday by the Greenville County Coroner’s Office, Hayden’s death remains under investigation pending the completion of toxicology results, despite reports from some outlets stating otherwise.”
The representative added: “Recent reports attributed to unnamed sources are unverified hearsay and have attributed to conflicting information that continues to circulate.”
The statement continued: “While we are all eager to find closure and better understand the circumstances surrounding her passing, we must remain patient and allow the investigative process to unfold.”
Panettiere is pictured in Hollywood in September 2022. The Greenville Police Department said her death was ruled accidental following the Medical Examiner’s determination and the findings of the investigation
Panettiere was found ‘unresponsive’ at the Judson Mill Lofts in Greenville, South Carolina
Panettiere is survived by a daughter, Kaya, now 11, who shares with ex-fiance Wladimir Klitschko – pictured 2011
In 2018, when her daughter Kaya was three, she signed full custody to her ex amid her battle with postpartum depression and addiction and Wladimir moved their daughter to his native Ukraine
The late Heroes star’s rep concluded in saying that ‘the answers we are all seeking will come.’
On the day she died, first responders arrived at a Greenville, South Carolina, condo where attempts were made to resuscitate the actress, before she had been pronounced dead.
Hickerson’s lawyer Sloan Ellis said in a statement August 20 that ‘Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed.
‘As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play. Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.’
Panettiere began acting as a child, appearing in soap operas, then gained wider recognition for her role in the 2000 sports drama Remember the Titans with Denzel Washington, and as the voice of Dot in Pixar’s 1998 film A Bug’s Life.
Panettiere is remembered for her role as Claire Bennet on the hit NBC series Heroes
She played Juliette Barnes on the ABC show Nashville, releasing a number of her own songs
Panettiere later found fame playing cheerleader Claire Bennet in the superhero drama Heroes before starring as country singer Juliette Barnes for six seasons on Nashville.
She earned two Golden Globe nominations for best supporting actress on the show, while her singing produced 11 entries on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.
Panettiere’s film credits include 2006’s Bring It On: All or Nothing, the comedy-drama film Raising Helen, and appearances in Scream 4 and Scream VI as Kirby Reed.
She had an 11-year-old daughter called Kaya following a life-threatening birth, and later gave full custody of the child to her former fiancé, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko.
Panettiere’s passing was announced by her father Skip Panettiere, who said in a statement: ‘It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden.
‘She was 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. We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.’
Authorities in Greenville, South Carolina, subsequently said that officials responded to an apartment in the area after receiving a report of an ‘unresponsive female’ via a possible ‘drug overdose,’ subsequently determined to be Panettiere.