Hayden Panettiere died from the combined toxic effects of fentanyl, 4-ANPP, alprazolam, methocarbamol and quetiapine, and her death has been ruled an accident, the Greenville County Coroner's Office said. The actress was 36.
The coroner's office said a 911 call was received at about 1:51 p.m. on Aug. 16, 2026, reporting a cardiac arrest at a residence on Easley Bridge Road in Greenville, South Carolina. First responders and emergency medical personnel arrived and found a woman in cardiac arrest. Crews began advanced cardiac life support, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful and she was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m.
The coroner's office identified the woman as Hayden Leslie Panettiere, 36, of California, and said she had been staying at the residence temporarily. An autopsy performed by a board-certified forensic pathologist found no signs of trauma that would have contributed to her death. The coroner's office opened a parallel investigation with the Greenville City Police Department.
According to a police report, Panettiere's boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother, Zach, called 911 after finding her unresponsive. Hickerson later gave authorities a bag containing medication she had been taking, the report said. Zach Hickerson appeared very emotional while paramedics worked to revive her, while Brian Hickerson did not become emotional until after she was declared dead, according to the report.
Brian Hickerson traveled with Panettiere from Los Angeles the day before she was found unresponsive, and his brother confirmed to police that the two were in a relationship at the time of her death. The couple had broken up briefly in 2022 before rekindling their romance the following year. The Drug Enforcement Administration was also contacted and assisted with the investigation.
Panettiere's representatives had previously condemned speculation about her final hours, saying that people who were not close to her were using her death to fuel gossip about a situation they knew little about. The statement called that deeply disrespectful to her memory and to those who knew and loved her and are grieving. Her team urged anyone with legitimate information to contact law enforcement rather than speculate publicly on social media.
Her representatives also said that much more to the story remained than what was being discussed publicly, and that those closest to her were cooperating with the ongoing investigation to help ensure the truth would come to light.
Panettiere began her career as a child actress and became widely known for her role as a cheerleader with superhuman abilities on the television series «Heroes.» She also appeared in films including «Remember the Titans» and later starred in the country music drama «Nashville.»