Hayden Panettiere 'Turned Deep Purple' as She Died From Drug Overdose — With Pressed Pills, White Powder and Straw Discovered Near Her Body
Hayden Panettiere was reportedly a 'deep purple' when her body was found.
Sept. 23 2026, Published 10:26 a.m. ET
Hayden Panettiere's body had reportedly turned a "deep purple" color after the star's accidental overdose death, RadarOnline.com can confirm.
The Heroes star died on August 16 after taking a mixture of drugs while staying with her ex-boyfriend at a Greenville, South Carolina Airbnb.
The Coroner's Report Has Been Released
The actress died from a lethal combination of drugs.
As Radar reported, the Greenville County Coroner's Office released the results of its toxicology testing, concluding the 36-year-old died from a lethal combination of five different drugs.
In the statement, the medical examiner said the actress had a combination of fentanyl, the anti-anxiety medication alprazolam, a muscle relaxer, and drugs used to treat major depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia in her system.
The coroner's report also reveals that investigators found blue pressed pills that tested positive for fentanyl, along with a straw on a table and white powder in a sunglasses case inside her suitcase.
The report stated that she had been in rehab just weeks before her death.
Brian and Zach Hickerson Discovered Hayden Panettiere's Body
Panettiere flew to South Carolina with her on-and-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, for her upcoming birthday.
Panettiere had recently traveled to South Carolina with her on-and-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother, Zach, to celebrate her upcoming 37th birthday on August 21.
The deputy coroner reportedly interviewed the siblings, and one recalled he saw Panettiere applying makeup at 10:30 AM on the day of her death, so he went back to bed.
The brothers were later awoken by a knock at the door. Moments later, according to TMZ, the brothers "discovered Hayden face down in a sitting position on a sofa bed with her legs crossed". They also noticed Hayden had turned deep purple. They rushed to attempt to wake her up.
One of the brothers reportedly told the deputy coroner that he was not sure if Panettiere had taken any drugs in the last two days because "she was very good at hiding them."
Hayden Panettiere Had a 'Bag of Medication' With Her on Trip
Hickerson showed first responders a "bag of medicine" Panettiere had with her at the time.
After discovering her body, one of the brothers called 911, and a dispatcher could be heard in the audio of the call saying that Panettiere had suffered a "suspected overdose."
First responders tried to perform CPR on the "unresponsive" actress, but "resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, and the individual was pronounced deceased at 2:32 PM," authorities told Radar in a statement.
Brian allegedly then showed police a "bag of medication" that Panettiere had kept inside the apartment complex.
A container of Narcan – a nasal medication used to treat an opioid overdose – was also found on a mattress at the property.
Hayden Panettiere Reportedly Met With Her Drug Dealer Before Death
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A police investigation has focused on her suspected L.A. drug dealer.
Panettiere was reportedly given the drugs by her "long-term drug dealer," who is now at the center of a police investigation.
The Nashville star reportedly met her dealer in L.A. before flying to South Carolina.
"There are a slew of messages about drugs," a source involved in the investigation told TMZ about Panettiere's alleged incriminating electronic exchanges with her dealer, in which they were "very specific about purchasing black-market pills."
Sources told the outlet that she appeared to have taken one pill the day she died.
