Hayden Panettiere's Death Ruled Accidental; Police Close Investigation

The Greenville Police Department officially ruled the death of actor Hayden Panettiere accidental on Wednesday, closing the investigation into her passing. Panettiere, 36, died on August 16 after being found unresponsive at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina, CBS News reported. Greenville police said the case is closed “based on the Medical Examiner’s determination and the findings of the investigation.”

This final determination follows a September report from the Greenville County Coroner’s Office, which identified the cause of death as the toxic effects of a drug overdose. The cocktail included fentanyl, 4-ANPP (a fentanyl production byproduct), alprazolam (Xanax), methocarbamol (Robaxin), and quetiapine (Seroquel), according to toxicology reports. The coroner’s office noted there were no signs of trauma that contributed to her death.

The Timeline of the August 16 Incident

The emergency began at approximately 1:51 p.m. on August 16, when a 911 call reported a cardiac arrest at a residence on Easley Bridge Road, Fox News reported. Panettiere had traveled to South Carolina from Los Angeles the previous day with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, according to TMZ.

Hayden Panettiere death ruled accidental by Greenville police

According to Page Six, Zach Hickerson discovered the actress unresponsive on a sofa bed while Brian was asleep in another room. In an attempt to save her, one of the brothers administered two doses of Narcan and performed CPR before first responders arrived. First responders and Emergency Medical Services located the female in cardiac arrest. Despite advanced cardiac life support measures, Panettiere was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:32 p.m.

Investigators later found suspected drugs, prescription medications, and drug paraphernalia inside the apartment, Page Six noted. Brian Hickerson reportedly showed police a bag of medication he stated Panettiere was taking at the time. Police previously stated that a preliminary investigation “has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.”

Hayden Panettiere's Death Ruled Accidental; Police Close Investigation — Photo: NBC News

A Public Struggle with Addiction and Loss

Panettiere’s death marks a tragic end to a career that spanned decades, from child acting roles in Remember the Titans and Ice Princess to lead performances in Heroes and Nashville. She also appeared in Bring It On: All or Nothing and Scream 4. In recent years, she had become increasingly transparent about the volatility of her private life.

In her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, published in May, Panettiere detailed a spiral that began after the 2014 birth of her daughter, Kaya, with Wladimir Klitschko. She wrote about using heavy drinking to cope with postpartum depression and the distance between her and Klitschko. This struggle led her to enter rehab and grant Klitschko custody of their daughter in 2018.

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The actor also grappled with profound personal grief following the 2023 death of her brother, Jansen Panettiere, who died from an undiagnosed heart condition. Her mother, Lesley Vogel, described her daughter as a “fighter” who was transparent about her addictions, though Vogel noted she had never heard Hayden speak of fentanyl.

DEA Probe May Target Street-Level Dealers

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had assisted in the probe and their investigation may remain ongoing, potentially targeting street-level dealers who supplied the substances.

Panettiere Is Survived by Her Daughter

Panettiere is survived by her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, who has primarily lived in Europe with Wladimir Klitschko since the parents’ split in 2018. A memorial service for Panettiere was held in Malibu in September, attended by around 80 friends.

Panettiere had reportedly entered rehab just weeks before her death, according to the coroner’s report.