Hayden Panettiere‘s cause of death has officially been revealed one month after she was found dead at age 36.
“An autopsy was completed by a Board Certified Forensic Pathologist. At autopsy no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death,” read an official statement from the Greenville County Coroner’s Office.
According to the statement, Panettiere’s cause of death was ruled as “toxic effects of fentanyl, 4-ANPP, Alprazolam, Methocarbamol, and Quetiapine.” The manner of her death was determined to be an accident.
A rep for the actress tells Us, “The investigation is still ongoing and the case is complex.”
News broke of Panettiere’s death on August 16.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. 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,” read a statement from her father, Skip Panettiere. “We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”
Police in Greenville, South Carolina, later shared more insight into the circumstances surrounding the actress’ death. According to NBC News, authorities were “accompanied by EMS personnel” when they “responded to a report of an unresponsive female” around 1:50 p.m. local time.
The woman, later identified as Hayden, was pronounced dead at the scene. An investigation later began.
Along with dad Skip and mom Lesley Vogel, Hayden is survived by daughter Kaya, 11, whom she shared with Wladimir Klitschko. Her brother, Jansen Panettiere, died in February 2023 at age 28.
Hayden got her start in the ’90s with roles on soap operas including One Life to Live. She voiced Princess Dot in 1998’s A Bug’s Life, later stealing hearts with her performance in 2000’s Remember the Titans. The actress is also known for her turn as Kirby Reed in the Scream franchise.
On the small screen, Hayden starred as Claire Bennet on NBC’s Heroes from 2006 to 2010 and as Juliette Barnes on the smash hit Nashville from 2012 to 2018. She earned two Golden Globe nominations for her work on the musical drama series.
Throughout her career, Hayden was candid about the challenges she faced in her personal life, including her battle with postpartum depression. Amid her struggles, the actress made the choice to sign over full custody of her daughter to Klitschko. Kaya eventually relocated to Ukraine.
“It was a nightmare. … I feel like I would be lying if I said that I have, even to this day, been able to fully process them, those emotions in a healthy way,” Hayden told Us. “I had to figure out, there was no other option to me, but to figure out how to stand back.”
At the time, Hayden gushed over her “incredible” relationship with Kaya and Klitschko.
“She is just such an incredible human being,” she said of her daughter. “She’s otherworldly and so sweet and so kind and so fierce and such a lover and surrounded by good people and good friends, and it’s incredible for me to be able to watch her thrive in areas that I struggled with growing up.”
Days before news broke of Hayden’s cause of death, friends and former costars gathered to honor the late actress with an intimate celebration of life in Malibu, which included a performance from Nashville alum Charles Esten.
