Actor Hayden Panettiere's death ruled accidental as investigators close case
Officials in South Carolina have announced that an investigation into actor Hayden Panettiere's August 16 passing found that her death was accidental.
Officials in South Carolina announced Wednesday, October 28, that an investigation into actor Hayden Panettiere's August 16 passing found that her death was accidental. The case is now closed.

"Based on the Medical Examiner's determination and the findings of the investigation, Hayden Panettiere's death has been ruled accidental," officials in Greenville, South Carolina said, the Los Angeles Times.
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The coroner's office said that paramedics and police found Panettiere in cardiac arrest. Dispatch audio recordings from Broadcastify.com referenced a possible overdose and CPR in progress. Narcan was administered and paramedics tried to resuscitate her, but she was declared dead at 2:31 pm.
Federal authorities investigating the death are looking into whether Panettiere procured nonprescription pills from an area dealer. Multiple people were questioned about the circumstances of her death by Drug Enforcement Administration agents and local investigators.
When Hayden Panettiere’s rep announced her death
Panettiere died at the age of 36 in Greenville, South Carolina, and her rep confirmed her death at the time.
"It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her -- and to the millions who watched her onscreen," her rep said in a statement.
Panettiere was born in Palisades, New York. While her mother, Lesley Vogel, was a former soap opera actress, her father, Skip Panettiere, worked as a fire department lieutenant. In 2023, Panettiere’s younger brother Jansen died unexpectedly of a heart condition at 28.
Police earlier said that there were not "any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances,” per the BBC. The Greenville County Coroner's Office revealed that crews treated a woman in "cardiac arrest" and her autopsy showed "no signs of trauma.”
Panettiere left behind her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, who was born in December 2014 in Hawaii. She shared her daughter with Wladimir Klitschko, the Ukrainian former heavyweight boxing champion.
Panettiere is known for starring in Heroes (2006-10) and Nashville (2012-18). Her early work as a child actor included roles in the 1990s on the soap operas One Life to Live and Guiding Light. She was also a model and a singer, and had released several singles.
ABOUT THE AUTHORSumanti SenSumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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