Panettiere died of accidental drug overdose, says coroner

Heroes actress Hayden Panettiere's cause of death has been revealed as an accidental drug overdose, a South Carolina coroner's office has confirmed.

The US actress, who also starred in the country music drama Nashville for nearly five years, died aged 36 in Greenville, South Carolina, in August.

Greenville County coroner's office ruled the cause of death as an accidental overdose involving fentanyl as well as anti-anxiety medication, Alprazolam.

The ruling also found a muscle relaxer and antipsychotic medication used to treat major depression and other serious mental health disorders in her system.

A press statement shared this afternoon said: "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 an accident."

A post-mortem examination found "no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death".

Panettiere was found unresponsive by emergency services at an apartment she was temporarily staying in on 16 August and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Tributes poured out for the actress following news of her death, including from her fellow co-stars, Nashville actress Connie Britton, Heroes' Jack Coleman and Bring It On actress and singer Solange Knowles.

Panettiere began acting as a child, appearing in soap operas before gaining wider recognition for her role in the 2000 sports drama Remember The Titans alongside Denzel Washington, and as the voice of Dot in Pixar's 1998 film A Bug's Life.

She later found fame playing cheerleader Claire Bennet in the superhero drama Heroes before going on to star as up-and-coming country singer Juliette Barnes for six seasons on Nashville.

Her film credits include 2006's Bring It On: All Or Nothing, comedy-drama film Raising Helen, and appearances in Scream 4 and Scream VI as Kirby Reed.

Following her rapid rise to fame, the pressure of the industry began to weigh on Panettiere, with the actress previously revealing that she had battled with addiction throughout her 20s.

The actress dated former boxer Wladimir Klitschko from 2009 to 2018, and had their daughter Kaya in 2014.

She gave Klitschko full custody of their now 11-year-old daughter in 2018 amid her struggles, which she discussed in her 2026 memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning.

Source: Pres Association