GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Actor Hayden Panettiere died from an accidental overdose involving several drugs, including fentanyl, just weeks after entering rehabilitation, according to a coroner’s report obtained by The Associated Press.

Panettiere, 36, was found unresponsive in an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina, on August 16. Her on-and-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were at the apartment at the time.

The Greenville County Coroner’s Office said a combination of fentanyl and a chemical byproduct of the drug, along with the anti-anxiety medication alprazolam, a muscle relaxant and another medication used to treat major depression and other serious mental health conditions, was detected in Panettiere’s system.

A more detailed report obtained by AP said a senior deputy coroner who arrived at the apartment found blue pressed pills and a straw on a table. The items later tested positive for fentanyl. Investigators also found a white powdery substance inside a sunglasses case in Panettiere’s suitcase.

According to the report, the investigator contacted Panettiere’s father, who said his daughter had planned to celebrate her birthday in Greenville five days later before traveling to Ukraine to visit her daughter.

The investigator also spoke with two men who were at the apartment. Their names were redacted in the report, but police have confirmed that Hickerson and his brother were present.

One of the men told investigators that he had seen Panettiere applying makeup at around 10:30 a.m. on the day she died. He later went back to sleep before being awakened by a knock at the door.

The two men then found Panettiere face down on a sofa bed in a seated position with her legs crossed. According to the report, one man said the position was not unusual for her, but he became concerned when he could not wake her and noticed that her skin had turned dark purple.

He administered two doses of Narcan, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, before calling 911 when she failed to respond.

The investigator said the man told her he did not know whether Panettiere had used illegal drugs during the previous two days, although he said she had been “very good at hiding them.”

Kasey Kitchen, a publicist for Panettiere’s family, said the investigation remains ongoing and described the case as complex.

Greenville police also confirmed that their investigation into Panettiere’s death is continuing.

Paramedics responded to the apartment following a 911 call and performed CPR and other advanced resuscitation efforts for more than 40 minutes before Panettiere was pronounced dead. An autopsy found no signs of trauma that could have contributed to her death, according to Greenville County Coroner Mike Ellis.

Panettiere became widely known through television roles in “Heroes” and “Nashville.” In her memoir, “This Is Me,” released in May, she wrote about the lasting effects of childhood fame and acknowledged struggles with alcohol addiction and postpartum depression following the birth of her daughter, Kaya, with Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko in 2014.

Her life was also marked by family tragedies. Her parents’ marriage eventually ended, while her younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died from a heart condition in 2023 at the age of 28.

Panettiere also discussed her long relationship with Hickerson and allegations that he physically abused her. Hickerson was charged in 2020 with multiple felony counts of abuse and later pleaded no contest to two counts of injuring a spouse or partner. He served a short period in jail and was sentenced to four years of probation, along with anger-management and Alcoholics Anonymous requirements.

Hickerson completed those requirements and recently sought to have the convictions reduced to misdemeanors, but a judge denied the request.

Panettiere had previously spoken publicly about her struggles with depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug use. In 2015, she said she had entered a “horrible cycle” of using alcohol and drugs while trying to cope with her mental health struggles. She also entered rehabilitation while working on “Nashville.”

“I was the one who put myself in the first treatment center. I was drowning,” she said in a 2023 interview with Women’s Health magazine.

Panettiere began acting as a child, appearing in commercials and soap operas including “Guiding Light.” In her memoir, she reflected on the difficult experiences associated with some of her early acting roles and how they influenced her understanding of fame and trauma.

The coroner’s report has provided new details about the circumstances of her death, while police continue to investigate the case.

SOURCE: The Associated Press (AP), Jeffrey Collins, September 23, 2026.