Coroner rules Panettiere death an accidental fentanyl overdose

The Greenville County Coroner's Office ruled actress Hayden Panettiere's death an accident caused by the toxic effects of fentanyl, 4ANPP, alprazolam, methocarbamol and quetiapine, officials announced on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, more than a month after she was found unresponsive in Greenville, South Carolina. Panettiere, 36, was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m. on August 16 after emergency personnel responded to a 911 call at approximately 1:51 p.m. local time and performed advanced cardiac life support. Medics found her in cardiac arrest at a residence where she had been temporarily staying. An autopsy conducted by a board-certified forensic pathologist found no signs of trauma that contributed to her death, Greenville County Coroner Mike Ellis said. The office said the case is administratively closed, though law enforcement inquiries into the source of the drugs continue. According to a Greenville police incident report, Panettiere's on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother Zach were at the residence and made the 911 call reporting her unresponsive.