Actress Hayden Panettiere’s death was confirmed by an autopsy to be the result of a lethal mix of fentanyl, Xanax and other drugs that were present in her system, according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office in South Carolina.
The coroner's report stated the death was accidental and that no signs of physical trauma were found that could have contributed to her passing.
Panettiere, 36, was discovered unresponsive at a residence in South Carolina late last month. She had previously enjoyed fame as the star of the television series Heroes and Nashville.
The coroner detected additional prescription drugs in the body, including methocarbamol—a muscle relaxant—and quetiapine, an antipsychotic medication used for certain mental health conditions.
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that has been responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths across the United States in the past five years, was identified as one of the main contributors to the overdose.
Emergency responders initially carried out advanced cardiac life support measures, but they could not revive her.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has joined the local police department’s investigation into the circumstances surrounding the actress’s death.
According to police, Panettiere was accompanied by her former boyfriend Brian Hickerson—who has admitted to drug abuse involving her—and his brother when first responders arrived.
Months before her death, Panettiere published a memoir detailing her struggles with addiction and postpartum depression, offering a candid look at her personal battles.
She revealed that she was first exposed to drugs at age 16 during a public appearance for Heroes, when a member of her team offered her a “happy pill” to boost energy.
In a candid statement to People magazine, she admitted that “I had no idea that this was not an appropriate thing, or what door that would open for me when it came to my addiction.” She further admitted that the drugs and alcohol became “something I almost couldn’t live without” as she grew older.
Panettiere’s brother, Jansen, had also fought substance‑abuse battles, using heroin and cocaine prior to his death from a heart condition at age 28.
