One month after Hayden Panettiere’s untimely death, new details are emerging about what exactly happened leading up to her passing.
As Entertainment Now previously reported, the “Ice Princess” star was found unresponsive inside a Greenville, South Carolina, home on August 16.
New Details
According to a new report from TMZ, Panettiere “turned purple” as she died of a drug overdose. An autopsy determined that she had a combination of drugs in her system, including fentanyl, alprazolam — an anti-anxiety medication — a muscle relaxer, and a drug used to treat depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, the Greenville County Medical Examiner revealed.
Upon discovery, blue pressed pills laced with fentanyl and a straw on a table beside her body, according to the report obtained by TMZ.
Hayden’s on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, both of whom had been staying at the apartment, reported today the deputy coroner that they discovered Hayden face down on a sofa bed with her legs crossed.
The report also claimed that a white pressed powder was found inside a sunglasses case in her suitcase.
One of the brothers allegedly told the deputy coroner that he was unsure whether Panettiere had consumed illicit drugs in the past 48 hours, claiming “she was very good at hiding them.”
Hayden’s Past
The beloved former child star was just five days away from celebrating her 37th birthday when she passed. According to her father, Skip Panettiere, she was set to celebrate her birthday in Greenville before flying to Ukraine to visit her daughter, Kaya.
Hayden — who shares the 11-year-old with her ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko — made the difficult decision to sign over custody of her only child as she struggled with postpartum depression and drug abuse.
“I grieve that I’m not the mother I want to be (trust me, no one should ever have to raise a child on FaceTime) and although I miss Kaya so much my heart aches, I know how blessed I am to be her mom,” she wrote in her May 2026 memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning.” “She is the greatest gift of my life, with all the best parts of her father and me.”
The former soap opera star was very open about her struggles, telling People in 2022, “I was on top of the world and I ruined it. I’d think I hit rock bottom, but then there’s that trap door that opens.”
She added of her sobriety journey at the time, “This hasn’t been easy and there were a lot of ups and downs. But I don’t regret even the ugliest things that have happened to me. I feel incredibly accomplished. And I feel like I have a second chance.”
The “Remember the Titans” actress was remembered during a celebration of life ceremony attended by her famous family and friends one month after her passing.
“Nashville” costars Connie Britton and Charles Esten, Ruby Rose, Paris Hilton, Evan Ross, and others were seen gathering in Malibu, California on September 19, TMZ reported. Skip Panettiere was also in attendance, according to the outlet.
