According to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office in South Carolina, actress Hayden Panettiere died as a result of the toxic effects of fentanyl and several other substances, and her death is being ruled accidental.
Panettiere, 36, was discovered unresponsive in an apartment in Greenville Aug. 16. She was declared dead after emergency responders administered CPR and other lifesaving efforts for over 40 minutes. An autopsy revealed no trauma that could have caused her death.
Toxicology testing revealed the presence of fentanyl, 4-ANPP, a chemical used in the production of fentanyl, alprazolam, methocarbamol and quetiapine, the coroner said. With the official finding, the earlier confusion about the actress’s cause of death is cleared up.
The case is still complex and the police investigation is ongoing, her family’s representative said. Greenville police also confirmed Tuesday that their investigation was still ongoing.
The official conclusion is more than a month after Panettiere’s death. Authorities had said in the days following her death that there was no apparent foul play, but toxicology results were still pending. Her representative had called on the public to wait for the official findings as there were conflicting reports about the circumstances.
Panettiere gained worldwide fame as a child and young actress, and later became popular with the television series, Heroes. Later she played Juliette Barnes in Nashville, where she also sang and was nominated twice for a Golden Globe.
She also had roles in Remember the Titans, the Scream movies and A Bug’s Life. Her last movie Sleepwalker was released in 2026.
Earlier this year, Panettiere published her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning. The book was about her childhood fame, motherhood and personal challenges she faced throughout her life.
The memoir was part of a time when Panettiere was speaking out publicly about her experiences and reaching out to fans outside of television. In May she attended a book event in Los Angeles to promote her book.
Panettiere was also a mother of her daughter Kaya, who she had with the previous fiancé Wladimir Klitschko. Her family and representatives have requested privacy after her death.
The coroner’s ruling is the first official cause of death for Panettiere, who died in an incident that is still under police investigation. More information about that investigation has not been made public.
