Charisma Madarang
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Hayden Panettiere's death has been ruled an accident by police. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic The death of Hayden Panettiere has been ruled an accident, and the investigation is now closed, South Carolina police said Wednesday.
“Based on the Medical Examiner’s determination and the findings of the investigation, Hayden Panettiere’s death has been ruled accidental,” police said, per NBC News.
At the time of her death, police arrived at a Greenville residence on Aug. 16 after reports of “an unresponsive female.” Panettiere, 36, was pronounced dead at the scene. An investigation into Panettiere’s death was opened, though police said an initial investigation did not indicate any signs of foul play.
A month after Panettiere’s death, the Greenville County Coroner’s Office ruled that she had died from the toxic effects of fentanyl and other drugs. The statement from the coroner’s office reiterated that an autopsy found no signs of trauma that would have contributed to her death.
Panettiere was known for her range of film and television roles in Remember the Titans, Raising Helen, Scream 4, Ice Princess, and I Love You, Beth Cooper. She landed her breakout role in 2006 as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC sci-fi series Heroes for four seasons, and later hit an all-time high as Juliette Barnes in the series Nashville from 2012 to 2018.
