Hayden Panettiere's official cause of death has been released.
More than a month after the actress, best known for her career roles on "Heroes" and "Nashville," died at 36, the Greenville County Coroner’s Office has ruled her cause of death to be the "toxic effects of fentanyl, 4-ANPP, Alprazolam, Methocarbamol and Quetiapine," according to Variety and NBC News. There were "no signs of trauma" that contributed to her death, and the "manner of death has been ruled accident."
Panettiere's representative confirmed her death to USA TODAY on Sunday, Aug. 16, along with a statement on behalf of her father, Skip Panettiere.
"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," Skip Panettiere said.
"We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss," the statement concluded.
On Aug. 16, at about 1:51 p.m., law enforcement and emergency medical personnel responded to a call of an unresponsive woman at an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina, police confirmed to USA TODAY on Aug. 17. The call came from an acquaintance of the former child star.
Greenville County Coroner Mike Ellis confirmed in an Aug. 17 statement that first responders found Panettiere in cardiac arrest. Emergency personnel administered "advanced cardiac life support measures," but they were unsuccessful and Panettiere was pronounced dead, Ellis said.
In 911 dispatch audio obtained by TMZ, authorities can be heard referencing a possible overdose and cardiac arrest when they arrived at the scene.
Hayden Panettiere's movies, TV shows shaped a generation
Panettiere's prolific career in TV and film began in commercials as a baby. She went onto appear in soap opera "One Life to Live" beginning at age five from 1994 to 1997, as well as "Guiding Light" from 1996 to 2000, "Remember the Titans" in 2000 and "Ally McBeal" in 2002.
She also appeared in the crime procedural "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" and the animated film "A Bug's Life" in her earlier years. Landing roles in Disney's "Tiger Cruise" in 2004, "Ice Princess" in 2005 and "Bring It On: All or Nothing" in 2006 put Panettiere in the spotlight.
The "This Is Me: A Reckoning" author then landed her big breakout role in NBC's "Heroes." She starred in the series as cheerleader Claire Bennet beginning in 2006 until the show ended in 2010.
She also starred in more than 100 episodes of "Nashville" as country-pop singer Juliette Barnes. The fan-favorite drama ran from 2012 until 2018.
Other major projects included playing Kirby Reed in the "Scream" slasher film franchise – she appeared in 2011's "Scream 4," 2022's "Scream" and 2023's "Scream VI."
Hayden Panettiere previously opened up about addiction
Prior to her death, Panettiere was vocal about her troubles with addiction and the impact of childhood stardom on her life. She opened up about the struggled in her candid memoir released earlier this year, "This Is Me: A Reckoning."
As a teen, Panettiere wrote that her team gave her "happy pills" – which she believed to be an amphetamine – before interviews and red carpets to help her focus. She said this habit would "forever change" her world.
"At 16, they were the gateway drug that ushered me toward the good of pharmaceuticals and the downfall of addiction," Panettiere wrote.
While experiencing postpartum depression after welcoming daughter Kaya, now 11, with her former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko, Panettiere wrote that she became addicted to alcohol and Klonopin, a central nervous system depressant. At one point, she wrote that a doctor told her she'd "be dead within five years" if she didn’t stop drinking.
She was also open about the effects of the death of her brother from cardiomegaly (or an enlarged heart), coupled with aortic valve complications, in 2023 when he was just 28.
"He was my only sibling, and it was my job to protect him," Panettiere told People in 2024. "When I lost him, I felt like I lost half of my soul."
She later said in her memoir that her brother was heavily abusing drugs, including crack and heroin, before he died.
In recent interviews about the book, Panettiere further revealed she was "groomed" to be a "little soldier" as a child actor.
"Grown-ups gave me positive attention when – as an actor – I failed, got sick, screamed and cried, killed, grieved, and suffered. Reality merged with my imagination and burrowed into my core memories, where all my shame and trauma lives," Panettiere wrote in her memoir. "I've often wondered whether – unintentionally – I've brought on my traumas because I'm wired to think they're good for me."
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, you can call theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Contributing: Anika Reed, Clare Mulroy, Taijuan Moorman and KiMi Robinson
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hayden Panettiere cause of death released
