Hayden Panettiere's death ruled accidental as South Carolina police close their investigation

Police in Greenville, South Carolina, have closed their investigation into the death of actor Hayden Panettiere and ruled it accidental, NBC News reported on Wednesday, Oct. 28.

“Based on the Medical Examiner’s determination and the findings of the investigation, Hayden Panettiere’s death has been ruled accidental,” Greenville police said, according to NBC News, adding that the investigation has concluded.

Panettiere, 36, known for the TV series “Heroes” and “Nashville,” was found unresponsive on Aug. 16 at an apartment complex in South Carolina where she was staying.

What did the coroner find?

Last month, the Greenville County Coroner’s Office ruled the death an accident caused by the toxic effects of multiple drugs: fentanyl, 4-ANPP, alprazolam, methocarbamol and quetiapine, NBC News reported. The coroner said there were no signs of trauma that contributed to her death, and police have said no signs of foul play were found during the initial response and investigation.

According to the coroner’s report cited by NBC News, Panettiere, who had spoken publicly about her struggle with addiction, had been in rehab just weeks before she died.

NBC News also reported, citing a source familiar with the probe, that the Drug Enforcement Administration had been investigating. The agency typically looks at the narcotics involved, how they were obtained and whether any laws were broken. Wednesday’s police announcement did not say whether that federal inquiry has ended.

What has her family said?

After the coroner’s ruling, Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel, called her daughter a “fighter” who was “transparent with her addictions,” NBC News reported. Vogel also said she had “never heard Hayden speak of fentanyl.”

What’s happening with her estate?

A separate court process is still underway in Los Angeles. Panettiere’s former fiancé, boxer Wladimir Klitschko, was appointed temporary guardian of the estate of their 11-year-old daughter, who is Panettiere’s sole heir, according to the Los Angeles Times and Rolling Stone.

At an Oct. 8 hearing, a judge also allowed Klitschko to ask law enforcement to help recover property, including jewelry his lawyers allege was taken by a non-family member and sold to a pawn shop, Rolling Stone reported. No one has been publicly identified or charged over those claims. A hearing on permanent guardianship of the estate is set for Dec. 7, the Times reported.

Her career and life

Panettiere began acting as a child and went on to star in “Remember the Titans,” “Ice Princess” and “Bring It On: All or Nothing,” along with “Heroes” and “Nashville.” In her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” she wrote about postpartum depression and heavy drinking after her daughter’s birth in 2014, and about grief after her brother, Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023, NBC News reported. She gave Klitschko custody of their daughter in 2018 while she sought treatment.

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