Actress Hayden Panettiere died from the toxic effects of fentanyl, Xanax and several other drugs, according to an autopsy by the Greenville County Coroner’s Office in South Carolina.
The coroner’s office ruled her death an accident and said there were no signs of trauma that contributed to her death.
Panettiere, known for her roles in the US television series Heroes and Nashville, died last month aged 36 after she was found unresponsive at a residence in South Carolina.
The autopsy also found methocarbamol, a prescription muscle relaxant, and quetiapine, an antipsychotic medication.
Emergency responders attempted to revive Panettiere after finding her unresponsive.
The coroner’s office said they had “initiated advanced cardiac life support measures; however, resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful”.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that has been linked to hundreds of thousands of deaths in the US in recent years.
Panettiere had previously spoken openly about her struggles with substance abuse and addiction.
In a memoir published months before her death, she described how she was introduced to drugs at about 16 while attending a red-carpet event for Heroes.
“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,” she told People magazine.
“As I got older, the drugs and alcohol became something I almost couldn’t live without.”
US authorities were investigating the circumstances surrounding her death, with the Drug Enforcement Administration reportedly joining the local police investigation.
Panettiere’s former boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother Zack were with her when emergency services arrived, according to a police report from the day she died.
Hickerson has previously admitted to abusing Panettiere.
Panettiere also discussed postpartum depression and addiction in her memoir.
Her brother, Jansen Panettiere, died aged 28 from a heart condition. She wrote that he had also struggled with substance abuse and had used heroin and cocaine before his death.
Panettiere became widely known as a child actress before gaining international recognition through Heroes and Nashville.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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