Watch: Hayden Panettiere’s Rep Details “Complex” Investigation After Cause of Death Is Confirmed
The search for answers surrounding Hayden Panettiere’s death is still underway.
After the Greenville County Coroner’s Office ruled that the Heroes actress accidentally died from “toxic effects” of fentanyl and four other substances, further referring to the manner of death as an accident, her rep confirmed authorities are still looking into the situation.
“The investigation remains ongoing and the circumstances surrounding the case are complex,” Kasey Kitchen told E! News in a Sept. 22 statement. “We must all continue to remain patient and allow the investigative process to unfold.”
In the Sept. 22 report from the coroner’s office, the medical examiner shared that the other substances in her system included 4-ANPP, a chemical that the Drug Enforcement Administration has noted indicates that the fentanyl was non-pharmaceutical and illicitly manufactured, according to the National Institutes of Health, and the prescription medications Alprazolam, Methocarbamol, and Quetiapine.
When first responders were dispatched to the home in South Carolina where Panettiere died Aug. 16, they treated her for a possible overdose, according to 911 dispatch calls obtained by People and TMZ. (Her on again, off again boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother Zach Hickerson were on the scene when she died.)
In the weeks after Panettiere’s death, her team has urged the public to not speculate about the circumstances and remain patient as the investigation unfolds.
“While we are all eager to find closure and better understand the circumstances surrounding her passing, we must remain patient and allow the investigative process to unfold,” the rep said on Sept. 16. “The answers we are all seeking will come.”
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Three days before her cause of death was confirmed, Panettiere’s former costars and friends—including her Nashville costar Connie Britton—gathered for a memorial service in Malibu, Calif.
The Friday Night Lights actress also paid her respects last month, writing on Instagram, “I have no words for this sad song. Just heartbreak. I love you girl. Sleep easy now.”
For all the details surrounding Panettiere’s tragic loss, keep reading…
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“Brian did not become emotional until EMS declared her officially deceased.”E! News has reached out to Zach for comment but has not heard back. Meanwhile, Brian’s attorney Sloan Ellis has spoken out.”Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed,” Ellis told E! News Aug. 20. “As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play. Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.”And while police told People officers “responded to a call for a welfare check at a home belonging to Brian Hickerson’s family” on Aug. 19, they noted “the call is unrelated to the Hayden Panettiere death investigation and did not require an incident report.”
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While Panettiere—whose brother Jansen died in 2023 at age 28—and her mom had publicly spoken about their estrangement, Vogel remembered her daughter as “an amazingly talented person in so many departments.””I think young people who grow up in the entertainment industry—it is a struggle and it’s a very challenging industry,” she added, “and it’s not unusual for them to sadly find the wrong path.”Additionally, her ex Wladimir Klitschko addressed his “profound shock and grief” he and their daughter Kaya were facing in the wake of Panettiere’s death. The Ukranian boxer further vowed to keep the Nashville alum’s legacy alive in Kaya’s memory.
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