Hayden Panettiere

Zach Hickerson, the brother of Hayden Panettiere's on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, attempted CPR on the actress before she was declared dead, a 911 call revealed.

An autopsy found that Panettiere's death was accidental and ruled that the cause was the "toxic effects of" the drugs fentanyl, 4-ANPP, alprazolam, methocarbamol and quetiapine.

Zach Hickerson also told TMZ a few days later that Brian Hickerson gave Panettiere Narcan, a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses, after they found her unconscious.

Panettiere had spoken openly about her struggles with substance abuse, telling People magazine in 2022 that she became addicted to opioids and alcohol in her teens. In her 2026 memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," she wrote about her experience with addiction, physical abuse, postpartum depression and recovery.

"I really wanted to share with the world that they don't have to be afraid. That they can live their truth. They can be imperfect," she said in the interview. Asked how she was doing, she replied, "Still working on myself all the time. I had a great therapist and I'm — I'm better, healthier than I've been in a long time."

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