Actress Hayden Panettiere, known for her roles on "Nashville" and "Heroes," died from an accidental overdose involving fentanyl and other drugs.
According to the Greenville County Coroner's Office, Panettiere died from a mixture of fentanyl, 4-ANPP, Alprazolam, Methocarbamol, and Quetiapine. The manner of death has been ruled an accident, Greenville Onlinereported.
Panettiere was found unresponsive Aug. 16 at an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina, located at Judson Mill Lofts, 701 Easley Bridge Road. The Greenville County Coroner's Office said a 911 call reported a cardiac arrest that brought first responders and EMS personnel to the residence.
When EMS personnel arrived, they found Panettiere and attempted to resuscitate her, but
the efforts were unsuccessful.
She was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m.
Panettiere struggled with addiction for years, a battle she chronicled in her memoir,“This Is Me: A Reckoning."
Panettiere said her struggles with addiction began as a teenager when members of her team allegedly gave her "happy pills" before interviews and red-carpet appearances. In her memoir, she wrote that the pills became a "gateway drug" that contributed to her later addiction to pharmaceuticals.
Here's what else to know.
What did the redacted police report say about Hayden Panettiere's death?
A redacted Greenville Police Department incident report released on Tuesday, Aug. 19, provided additional details about what happened after officers and emergency personnel arrived.
A responding officer encounteredBrian Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, at the apartment. The report states that Brian Hickerson and Panettiere were dating at the time.
"Zach was observed to be very emotional while EMS was working on Hayden," according to the report. "Brian did not become emotional until EMS officially declared her deceased."
Brian Hickerson showed the officer on scene a "bag of medicine" Panettiere was on.
The specific medications were redacted from the report.
The officer also spoke with a courtesy officer at the apartment complex, who said surveillance footage captured Panettiere and the Hickerson brothers "coming and going" before her death.
'Nashville' role mirrored Panettiere’s real-life struggles
After shooting to stardom as Claire Bennet on NBC's "Heroes," Panettiere earned critical acclaim for her portrayal of country music star Juliette Barnes on the musical drama "Nashville," a role that garnered two Golden Globe nominations.
Her role as Barnes, however, proved difficult for Panettiere, as she wrote in her memoir, because the character mirrored many of the struggles she was facing in her personal life.
“Juliette Barnes had postpartum depression, and alcohol and pill problems, and a divorce on the horizon. She was erratic, an absentee mother, and fought with everyone, including her fans. Every time I read the day’s script, it was like I was looking in a funhouse mirror, seeing a distorted reflection of myself. I can’t tell you how lost this made me feel,” Panettiere wrote.
During that time, Panettiere said the first thing she thought of when she woke up was alcohol: “Not my child, not my job, and not the rest of my life. I needed a drink to function.”
Contributing: USA TODAY, Greenville Online
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Hayden Panettiere died from accidental fentanyl overdose. How 'Nashville' role impacted her
