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There has been a stunning revelation regarding Hayden Panettiere’s death, with investigators revealing one detail that likely caused the actress’s death.
According to reports, the pain relief medication the 36-year-old had been taking was laced with the lethal drug fentanyl, which, even in tiny quantities, can lead to death.
In a report by TMZ, the publication claims that several law enforcement officials had been illegally provided with a number of black market prescription drugs, including an opioid, Oxycodone, by her long-standing Los Angeles drug dealer.
The publication also claimed that Panettiere had taken several drugs provided to her by her drug dealer while on a flight from LAX to South Carolina on the day before she was found dead.
As such, investigators have linked Panettiere’s death to the consumption of oxycodone, which they allege had been laced with fentanyl – an opioid used to treat agonizing pain, and that can be 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine, another famously powerful painkiller.
According to TMZ, the US Drug Enforcement Administration has also acted, launching an investigation into the medication, as they look to trace it back to her drug dealer.
While the reports are yet to be officially confirmed, it has been alleged that the late actress had been in “pain” before her untimely death.
Panettiere’s estranged mother recently told The New York Times that her daughter had been battling an undiagnosed condition that was leaving her in considerable discomfort, so she was using medication to combat the illness.
Discussing time they spent together back in 2025, Vogel revealed: “She was in pain. She was afraid. She couldn’t physically function properly.”
According to Panettiere’s mother, the late actress had often wondered whether the condition was associated with injuries she had sustained while working in Hollywood as a child.
According to Vogel, Paettiere was experiencing “pins and needles” in her legs, making it increasingly difficult for her to walk, even trying alternative therapies to resolve symptoms.
Panettiere, who died last month in her apartment in South Carolina, shared a daughter, Kaya, with ex-partner Wladimir Klitschko, but no longer had custody of her.
The coroner's report revealed that “The cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies. This investigation remains active and ongoing.”
The report went on to add: “No further details are available for release at this time.”
