Hayden Panettiere: Police close investigation into star's death

Police have closed the investigation into Hayden Panettiere's death after a post-mortem found she died accidentally.

The actress died in August after being found unresponsive in an apartment in the South Carolina city of Greenville.

Panettiere's on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother Zach were in the property at the time.

Paramedics performed CPR and other resuscitation efforts for 40 minutes before declaring her dead.

Officers initially said there did not appear to be any signs of foul play - an assessment backed up by last month's post-mortem.

The coroner ruled Panettiere died from the toxic effects of an accidental overdose of several drugs, including the synthetic opioid fentanyl.

They found no signs of any physical trauma that would have contributed to her death.

The other drugs found in her system were 4-ANPP (fentanyl's chemical by-product), anti-anxiety medicine Alprazolam, muscle relaxer Methocarbamol, and Quetiapine - which can be used to treat severe depression.

Panettiere had been in rehab a few weeks before death, according to the coroner's report.

The 36-year-old found fame in the series Heroes, which ran from 2006 to 2010, and followed that with a role in Nashville, another hit TV programme.

She was involved in the entertainment world from a young age, appearing in adverts at just 11 months old and becoming a child actor.

Panettiere opened up about her struggles with postpartum depression and addiction in her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, which came out earlier this year.

She said it had led to her decision - in 2018 - to give custody of her daughter to her former partner, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko, so she could get help.

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In an interview with podcaster Jay Shetty after the book's release, Panettiere said: "I think there's been this very common misconception that I just gave up my child. That could not be farther from the truth."

She described herself as being in a "horrible cycle for years of battling depression and anxiety and alcoholism and substance abuse" while "just trying to find my way back".

She also wrote about the pain of losing her brother Jansen, who died in 2023 from an undiagnosed heart condition.

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.

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