Hayden Panettiere's Death Investigated Over Suspected Fentanyl Overdose
Authorities are investigating whether actress Hayden Panettiere died from an oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl. The 36-year-old star was found unresponsive in August.
Authorities are investigating whether actress Hayden Panettiere died after taking an oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, according to TMZ reports. Investigators are currently examining this suspicion while awaiting final toxicology results.
Panettiere, who passed away at 36, was renowned for her roles in television series such as Heroes and Nashville, as well as the Scream film franchise. She was found unresponsive on August 16 at a home in Greenville, South Carolina, suffering from cardiac arrest. First responders attempted life-saving measures, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. An initial post-mortem examination revealed no signs of trauma contributing to her death.
According to the report, investigators are probing whether Panettiere received prescription medication a day prior to her death from an individual she allegedly purchased drugs from over an extended period. The hypothesis being examined is that she ingested an oxycodone pill containing fentanyl on the morning of her death. Authorities are awaiting toxicology reports to confirm whether fentanyl was present in her system.
The investigation also focuses on the source of the medications and the circumstances of how they reached her. Earlier reports indicated that Narcan—a medication used for emergency treatment of opioid overdoses—was found in the apartment, and her partner, Brian Hickerson, attempted to use it to revive her after she was found unconscious.
Panettiere's death has been under investigation since she was discovered lifeless, with police examining potential criminal involvement in the circumstances leading to her passing, though an official cause of death remains undetermined. Panettiere had spoken openly over the years about her struggles with addiction and postpartum depression. In May, she published a memoir addressing addiction, motherhood, and the heavy toll of early fame. She is survived by her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, from her previous marriage to former boxer Wladimir Klitschko.
