From BBC News · · 1m 20s
Hayden Panettiere died from fentanyl overdose
The actress and Heroes star, 36, died from toxic effects of multiple drugs including fentanyl and Xanax.
In brief
The actress and Heroes star, 36, died from toxic effects of multiple drugs including fentanyl and Xanax. Hayden Panettiere's death was ruled an accidental overdose involving fentanyl and multiple other drugs; she had previously spoken openly about lifelong struggles with addiction that began at age 16. Originally…
Actress found dead at 36
Hayden Panettiere, star of Heroes and Nashville, was found unresponsive at a South Carolina residence last month.
Autopsy reveals drug combination
The Greenville County Coroner's Office found fentanyl, Xanax, methocarbamol, and quetiapine in her system. Her death was ruled accidental with no signs of trauma.
Addiction began at age 16
Panettiere said a member of her professional team gave her a "happy pill" for energy during a Heroes red carpet event when she was 16, opening a door to lifelong addiction.
“I had no idea that this was not an appropriate thing, or what door that would open for me when it came to my addiction.”
Escalating dependence over time
As she got older, Panettiere said drugs and alcohol became something she almost couldn't live without. She published a memoir months before her death discussing her addiction and postpartum depression.
“As I got older, the drugs and alcohol became something I almost couldn't live without.”
Family history of addiction
Panettiere's brother Jansen died at 28 from a heart condition, but had also struggled with heroin and cocaine use. She revealed this in her memoir.
Fentanyl's deadly toll
Fentanyl, the synthetic opioid found in her system, has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans over the past five years alone.
What matters most
Hayden Panettiere's death was ruled an accidental overdose involving fentanyl and multiple other drugs; she had previously spoken openly about lifelong struggles with addiction that began at age 16.
