Hayden Panettiere dies of accidental drug overdose

Hayden Panettiere died from an accidental overdose involving fentanyl and several other drugs, the Greenville County Coroner’s Office in South Carolina confirmed Tuesday.

Emergency responders were called on the afternoon of Aug. 16 to a residence in Greenville, South Carolina, where Panettiere had been staying. She was found unresponsive and, despite “advanced cardiac life support measures,” was pronounced dead at the scene, the coroner’s office said.

An autopsy found that the 36-year-old actor died from the “toxic effects of” fentanyl, 4-ANPP, alprazolam, methocarbamol and quetiapine. The BBC identified alprazolam as Xanax, methocarbamol as a prescription muscle relaxant and quetiapine as an antipsychotic medication used to treat certain mental health conditions.

The coroner’s office ruled the death an accident and said there were no signs of trauma. Police previously said a preliminary investigation “has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.” Authorities, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, were investigating the circumstances of her death, CBS News reported.

Panettiere’s on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother Zach were at the scene, according to a police report obtained by CBS News. The report said the Hickersons made the 911 call that brought first responders to the apartment.

Brian Hickerson showed officers “the bag of medication” that Panettiere was “currently on,” according to the police report, though the list of substances was redacted. Zach Hickerson later told TMZ that Brian gave Panettiere Narcan, a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses, after they found her unconscious at the residence.

Panettiere, who became known as a child actor and later starred in the U.S. television shows “Heroes” and “Nashville,” had spoken publicly about substance abuse before her death. She said she became addicted to alcohol and opioids as a teenager.

She also wrote about addiction in her recent memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” along with her experiences with physical abuse, postpartum depression and recovery.

In a May interview with CBS News’ Gayle King, Panettiere said she hoped that speaking openly about her life would help others.

“I really wanted to share with the world that they don’t have to be afraid. That they can live their truth. They can be imperfect,” she said.

Asked how she was doing at the time, Panettiere replied, “Still working on myself all the time. I had a great therapist and I’m — I’m better, healthier than I’ve been in a long time.”

The BBC reported that fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans over the past five years alone.