ANSWERS

Hayden Panettiere’s Cause of Death at 36 Revealed

The actress was found unresponsive in the company of her abusive ex-boyfriend last month.

Heroes star Hayden Panettiere, 36, died from taking fentanyl, TMZ reported.

The actress’s cause of death, according to a report from the Greenville County Coroner as obtained by TMZ, was ruled an accident. The site also states that the report listed Xanax, a muscle relaxant called Methocarbamol, and a bipolar, schizophrenia, and major depression treatment drug called Quetiapine.

Authorities are investigating who supplied Panettiere with oxycodone laced with fentanyl, several sources told multiple news outlets.

The child star was open about her struggles with addiction and chronicled much of her journey in her memoir released in May, This Is Me: A Reckoning. She was found unresponsive in a luxury loft in Greenville, South Carolina, on Aug. 16, where she had flown the day prior with her abusive ex-boyfriend Brian Hickerson.

Play Video

Hickerson, whose abuse Panettiere documented in her book, had been arrested several times for his assaults on the star, which led to jail time and a judge granting the actress a restraining order. Sources told multiple outlets that Panettiere had kept their reunion under wraps.

She was discovered unconscious by Hickerson and his brother after not waking from a nap, and was pronounced dead that afternoon at 2:32 p.m., just five days shy of her 37th birthday.

Investigators do not suspect foul play, and Hickerson has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

Panettiere left behind a daughter, Kaya Klitschko, whom she shared with her ex-fiancé, former professional boxer Wladimir Klitschko.

Obsessed with pop culture and entertainment? Follow us on Substack and YouTube for even more coverage.

Eboni Boykin-PattersonEntertainment Reporter

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.