#SHOWBIZ: Drug cocktail killed former child star Hayden Panettiere: coroner

Former child star and actress Hayden Panettiere passed away due to a drug cocktail comprising fentanyl, generic Xanax, and an anti-psychotic medication, according to a US coroner's report released on Tuesday. The 36-year-old, best known for her roles in the TV series "Heroes" and "Nashville," was found unresponsive at a South Carolina residence in late July, likely by her long-term partner Brian Hickerson and his brother.

Attempts to revive her with Narcan, a drug used to counter fentanyl overdoses, were unsuccessful, and she was pronounced dead on the scene. The Greenville County Coroner's Office classified the death as an accident following an autopsy, with no evidence of trauma.

Tests revealed the cause of death to be the toxic effects of fentanyl, combined with generic Xanax and an anti-psychotic drug. The investigation into her death will likely focus on the source of the drugs, potentially mirroring the probe into the circumstances surrounding Matthew Perry's overdose in 2023. Five individuals were sentenced for supplying Perry with the fatal drugs.

Born in 1989, Panettiere had a prolific career in Hollywood, appearing in films such as "Remember The Titans," "Ice Princess," "Scream 4," and "Scream VI," as well as commercials from the age of 11 months. She won a Grammy nomination for voicing Princess Dot in "A Bug's Life" when she was nine. Behind her successful career, Panettiere struggled with alcohol and opioid addiction, which she detailed in her 2023 memoir "This Is Me: A Reckoning."

In one of her final interviews, she revealed that the birth of her daughter with Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko in 2014 had left her depressed and led her to alcohol. She subsequently gave custody of her daughter to Klitschko, stating she needed to prioritize her own well-being to receive the help she required and be the mother her child needed.