Hayden Panettiere's Cause Of Death Revealed

Actress Hayden Panettiere died of the toxic effects of fentanyl and other drugs, the Greenville County Coroner's Office announced Tuesday.

The coroner's office also ruled Panettiere's death an accident, per Variety.

The official statement reads: "The cause of death has been ruled as toxic effects of fentanyl, 4-ANPP, Alprazolam, Methocarbamol and Quetiapine." 

The "Heroes" and "Nashville" star died on August 16 at the age of 36; she was found unresponsive in a Greenville, South Carolina, home that afternoon. The Greenville Police Department and Greenville County Coroner's Office subsequently investigated Panettiere's death, but a spokesperson for Greenville PD told Variety there were no initial signs of "foul play or suspicious circumstances."

"It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden," Panettiere's father, Skip Panettiere, said in a statement after her death was reported. "She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen."

Hayden Panettiere's younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, previously died in February 2023 due to an enlarged heart and aortic valve complications.

Hayden Panettiere was just 4 years old when she booked her first major TV role as Sarah Roberts on ABC's "One Life to Live." She followed that with a stint on a different soap opera, CBS' "Guiding Light," where she played Lizzie Spaulding for nearly 50 episodes.

The actress' most notable TV credits, though, were the NBC sci-fi drama "Heroes" (where she played indestructible cheerleader Claire Bennet for all four seasons) and the ABC-turned-CMT musical drama "Nashville" (where she starred as country singer Juliette Barnes). Other television appearances included episodes of "Touched by an Angel," "Ally McBeal," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," and "Malcolm in the Middle."

Panettiere also had a successful film career, first breaking out in the sports drama "Remember the Titans," where she played the young daughter of Will Patton's Coach Yoast. Later credits included "Ice Princess," "Bring It On: All or Nothing," "Raising Helen," and the "Scream" horror movie franchise, in which she played Kirby Reed in the fourth and sixth installments.