Hayden Panettiere’s grim cause of death has finally been revealed nearly a month after her demise.
In a bombshell report by TMZ published on Monday, September 14, it was reported that the Scream VI star, who was found dead at the age of 36 in her Greenville, South Carolina home, took a fatal pill the day she died.
Speaking to the outlet, insiders with direct knowledge revealed that the actress had a “long time drug dealer” in Los Angeles, who provided her with many “black-market prescription drugs,” including oxycodone.
For those unfamiliar, oxycodone is a strong opioid pain medication used to treat moderate to severe pain when other treatments become ineffective. It binds to opioid receptors in the brain and central nervous system to block pain signals.
The law enforcement sources suggest that the actress consumed oxycodone laced with fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid drug that is about 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin.
Panettiere reported took several drugs from her dealer on a flight from LA to South Carolina a day before her death.
Investigators believe she took an oxycodone pill the next morning, and suspect that the pill contained fentanyl.
The LA Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is investigation the Nashville actress’s connection with the drug dealer and trying to determine whether he provided the fatal pill.
It is pertinent to mention that final toxicology results are still pending, which could shed more light on the circumstances surrounding the actress’s death.
About Hayden Panettiere death
Hayden Panettiere was discovered dead at the age of 36 on August 16, 2026, at a home in Greenville, South Carolina.
Emergency services arrived at the scene to perform "advanced cardiac life support measures," but the actress was pronounced dead that afternoon.
Narcan, a life-saving over-the-counter medication that can reverse the effects of a drug overdose, was reportedly found at the scene.
