Hayden Panettiere's death ruled accidental from drugs, including fentanyl: Coroner

Panettiere, 36, died in August in Greenville, South Carolina.

September 22, 2026, 10:51 AM

Actress Hayden Panettiere's death has been ruled an accidental overdose from drugs, including fentanyl, according to the Greenville County Coroner's Office in South Carolina.

The coroner's office said the other four drugs in her system were: 4-ANPP, a man-made byproduct of making fentanyl; alprazolam, known as Xanax, which commonly treats anxiety and panic disorders; methocarbamol, known as Robaxin, which treats muscle spasms and related injuries; and quetiapine, known as Seroquel, an antipsychotic medication used to treat mental health conditions that can also help with sleep.

Hayden Panettiere at Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica, CA on June 27, 2009.
Munawar Hosain/Fotos International/Getty Images

Of the combination of medications, fentanyl is the most likely to result in an overdose death.

Her autopsy found "no signs of trauma … that would have contributed to the death," the coroner’s office said.

Hayden Panettiere arrives for the world premiere of "Scream VI" at AMC Lincoln Square in New York City on March 6, 2023.
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

The 36-year-old "Nashville" star died in August after she was found unresponsive at an apartment in Greenville.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating if the fentanyl came from South Carolina or if the actress may have brought it with her from California, sources told ABC News. Panettiere flew from Los Angeles to South Carolina the day before her death, sources said.

Panettiere was honored over the weekend at a memorial service in California, her representative confirmed to ABC News. Panettiere's "Nashville" co-star Connie Britton and other celebrities, including Evan Ross and Ruby Rose, were photographed attending the memorial.

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