Autopsy shows Hayden Panettiere died from a drug overdose
The death of the child star - who had fentanyl, Xanax, a muscle relaxant and antipsychotic medication in her system - was ruled an accident.
Child star Hayden Panettiere passed away due to a drug overdose, as determined by an autopsy performed by the Greenville County Coroner's Office in South Carolina. Her death was ruled an accident with no evidence of trauma contributing to it. Panettiere had been found unresponsive at a residence in South Carolina last month, at the age of 36.
She had previously spoken about her substance abuse struggles. The autopsy also revealed the presence of methocarbamol, a prescription muscle relaxant, and quetiapine, an antipsychotic drug used for mental health conditions. Emergency responders had initiated advanced life support, but resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful. The US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is now joining the local police's investigation into her death.
Panettiere's ex-boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother Zack were present when emergency services arrived. Just prior to her death, Panettiere released a memoir detailing her addiction issues and postpartum depression.
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