Hayden Panettiere’s Rep Addresses Reports of Laced Pill
Hayden Panettiere’s Rep Addresses Reports of Fentanyl-Laced Pill Found in Her Body
Authorities are still looking for answers in Hayden Panettiere’s tragic death.
A month after the Heroes alum died at age 36, her rep has shut down recent reports that alleged she had taken a fentanyl-laced pill in the hours before her death.
“As reported yesterday by the Greenville County Coroner’s Office, Hayden’s death remains under investigation pending the completion of toxicology results, despite reports from some outlets stating otherwise,” Hayden’s rep said in a statement to E! News Sept. 16. “Recent reports attributed to unnamed sources are unverified hearsay and have attributed to conflicting information that continues to circulate.”
Hayden’s rep maintained that authorities need time to come to a definitive conclusion.
“While we are all eager to find closure and better understand the circumstances surrounding her passing, we must remain patient and allow the investigative process to unfold,” her rep added. “The answers we are all seeking will come.”
The unverified claims of Panettiere's potential cause of death came in tandem with Hayden’s ex boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother Zack Hickerson—who were both with the Ice Princess alum when she died Aug. 16—being briefly detained for a bar fight in Greenville, South Carolina Sept. 12.
Following the altercation, Zack addressed the ongoing speculation surrounding the Nashville star’s death.
“It’s super frustrating, all that we’ve been through and all the rumors that get started and then people believe them,” Zach told TMZ Sept. 13 after he was released from Greenville County Detention Center. “And then they attack, as a result of the rumors. That’s what pisses me off.”
Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for amfAR
And while Zack said he and his brother could eventually “clarify” what went down on the day of Hayden’s tragic death, he added, “People fill in their own holes and then they wanna attack people for no reason.”
In an initial autopsy report previously obtained by E! News, Greenville County Coroner Mike Ellis found “no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death.”
Meanwhile, this isn’t the first time Hayden’s rep has shut down circulating rumors surrounding her client’s death, having previously implored the public to cease speculation last month.
“Many people who were not close to Hayden are using her death as an opportunity to fuel gossip and speculation about a situation they knew very little about,” the rep said in an Aug. 25 statement to E! News. “It is deeply disrespectful to her memory and to those who knew and loved her and are actively grieving this tremendous loss.”
For more information on the investigation surrounding Hayden’s death, keep reading…
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When Did Hayden Panettiere Die?
Hayden Panettiere died in Greenville, South Carolina, on Aug. 16. She was 36.
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How Did Hayden Panettiere Die?
After receiving a 911 call at around 1:51 p.m. on Aug. 16, first responders and emergency medical services arrived at a residence in Greenville and found a woman—later identified as Panettiere—in cardiac arrest, according to a release shared by the Greenville County Coroner’s Office the following day.
While "advanced cardiac life support measures" were provided, the release continued, the "resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful" as Panettiere was unresponsive. The actress was pronounced dead at the scene a little after 2:30 p.m.
In audio of the emergency dispatch call obtained by CNN and TMZ, EMS responders can be heard discussing an apparent overdose.
However, the official cause and manner of death have yet to be released as the coroner's office and Greenville City Police Department continue their investigations.Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
What Has Hayden Panettiere's Autopsy Revealed So Far?
In its Aug. 17 release, the coroner's office confirmed an autopsy was completed and that "no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death" of the Heroes star.
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Who Was With Hayden Panettiere When She Died?
The Greenville City Police Department noted in its Aug. 17 release that "an acquaintance of Ms. Panettiere placed the 911 call," with a redacted police report obtained by E! listing both Brian Hickerson—her on-again, off-again boyfriend since 2018— and his brother Zach Hickerson as the ones to call 911.
Zach later told officers investigating Panettiere's death that she was Brian's girlfriend, according to Greenville City PD's report.
Zach also shared in an Aug. 21 statement to TMZ that Brian gave Panettiere Narcan—an opioid overdose reversal medication—after the pair found the actress unconscious in the apartment she was renting. Zach also said that he and Brian "jointly performed CPR while 911 was on speaker until Fire and EMS arrived."
Police noted in an Aug. 16 release that "the preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances" around her death.
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How Did Brian Hickerson and Zach Hickerson React to Hayden Panettiere's Death?
In the police report, an officer noted Zach was "very emotional while EMS were working on" Panettiere, though
"Brian did not become emotional until EMS declared her officially deceased."
E! News has reached out to Zach for comment but has not heard back. Meanwhile, Brian's attorney Sloan Ellis has spoken out.
"Hayden's death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed," Ellis told E! News Aug. 20. "As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play. Out of respect for Hayden's loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time."
And while police told People officers "responded to a call for a welfare check at a home belonging to Brian Hickerson’s family" on Aug. 19, they noted "the call is unrelated to the Hayden Panettiere death investigation and did not require an incident report."
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What Has Hayden Panettiere's Family Said About Her Death?
After Panettiere died, her father Skip Panettiere told ABC News 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."
Two days later, her mother Lesley Vogel broke her silence.
"This person in her life that we have been trying to get rid of for quite some time was with her at her death," she told NBC News Aug. 18, "and that was Brian Hickerson."
While Panettiere—whose brother Jansen died in 2023 at ae 28—and her mom had publicly spoken about their estrangement, Vogel remembered her daughter as "an amazingly talented person in so many departments."
"I think young people who grow up in the entertainment industry—it is a struggle and it’s a very challenging industry," she added, "and it’s not unusual for them to sadly find the wrong path."
Additionally, her ex Wladimir Klitschko addressed his "profound shock and grief" he and their daughter Kaya were facing in the wake of Panettiere's death. The Ukranian boxer further vowed to keep the Nashville alum's legacy alive in Kaya's memory.
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