Hayden Panettiere’s Cause of Death Released by Coroner

The coroner from Greenville County disclosed that Hayden Panettiere, aged 36, died due to a tragic accident resulting from the toxic effects of fentanyl and other substances. Reports indicate that she was found unresponsive in a South Carolina apartment, leading to an urgent response from emergency services.

In a recently surfaced 911 call, Zach Hickerson, the brother of Panettiere’s on-again, off-again boyfriend, can be heard anxiously seeking help after discovering her unconscious on August 16. In the frantic seven-minute recording, he asks the dispatcher, “Oh, God, oh, my God — do you do CPR or something?”

During the call, Zach performed CPR on Panettiere while his brother Brian administered Narcan, a medication used to counteract opioid overdoses. Zach recounted arriving home from church to find the actress and his brother together in the apartment.

The dispatcher inquired if Panettiere was breathing, to which Zach replied, “No, I don’t think so.” He followed instructions from the dispatcher to lay her flat and begin CPR while help was en route.

Despite their efforts, Hayden Panettiere was pronounced dead at 2:32 PM. The coroner’s office indicated that she died from the effects of fentanyl, along with other substances including alprazolam and quetiapine, and ruled the death an accident.

Officials reported receiving a 911 call regarding cardiac arrest at her location around 1:51 PM. Emergency personnel attempted various life-saving measures, but unfortunately, they were not successful. An autopsy confirmed that no traumatic injuries were present that could account for her death.

Panettiere had traveled with Brian Hickerson from Los Angeles just a day before she was found dead. They had a tumultuous relationship, having briefly split in 2022 before rekindling their romance in the following year. Following her death, the DEA was notified and is reportedly assisting with the ongoing investigation.