Panettiere, 36, was found unresponsive at an apartment in Greenville on Aug. 16. Emergency medical personnel attempted advanced resuscitation before she was pronounced dead.

The coroner’s office said an autopsy found no signs of trauma that contributed to her death. Toxicology identified fentanyl, 4-ANPP, alprazolam, methocarbamol and quetiapine in her system.

What the coroner found

The coroner identified the cause of death as the toxic effects of the five substances and classified the manner of death as an accident.

4-ANPP is a chemical byproduct associated with fentanyl production. Alprazolam is commonly known by the brand name Xanax. Methocarbamol is a muscle relaxant, while quetiapine is a prescription medication used for several medical conditions.

The presence of multiple substances was reflected in the coroner’s determination rather than a finding that fentanyl was the only substance involved.

The findings establish the medical cause and manner of Panettiere’s death. They do not, by themselves, establish how she obtained the fentanyl or the circumstances surrounding its use.

Police investigation continues

The medical determination does not end the separate investigation into the circumstances of Panettiere’s death.

Greenville police confirmed that their investigation remains ongoing. Authorities have previously said the preliminary investigation did not indicate signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.

An acquaintance of Panettiere placed the 911 call, according to police. Her on-and-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were at the apartment when she was found, according to reporting based on the police investigation.

No conclusion about a potential supplier or other criminal responsibility has been announced by investigators.

Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel, said the accidental classification did not resolve questions about the source of the lethal dose and called for justice for her daughter. Her statement was a family response to the coroner’s finding, not an official determination about the source of the drugs.

A career that began in childhood

Panettiere began working as an actor while she was a child and became widely known through television roles.

She played Claire Bennet on the NBC science-fiction drama Heroes and later starred as country singer Juliette Barnes on Nashville. Her film credits included Remember the Titans, Ice Princess, Scream 4 and Scream VI.

Her performance on Nashville earned her two Golden Globe nominations.

Panettiere also appeared in commercials and soap operas early in her career, including Guiding Light, before moving into larger television and film roles.

Panettiere had spoken publicly about addiction

Panettiere had previously discussed her struggles with alcohol and opioid addiction and her efforts to recover.

In her 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, she wrote about addiction, postpartum depression, trauma and the pressures associated with becoming famous at a young age. She had also previously entered rehabilitation as she sought treatment for substance-use problems.

Those earlier struggles provide context for her life but do not establish the circumstances that led to the fatal overdose.

The coroner’s findings provide the first official determination of what caused her death.

Investigation remains open

The release of the toxicology and autopsy findings answers the immediate medical question surrounding Panettiere’s death: the manner was accidental, and the cause was the toxic effects of fentanyl and the four other identified substances.

Questions surrounding the source of the fentanyl and whether anyone else could face legal consequences remain separate matters for investigators.

Greenville police have not announced arrests or charges connected to her death.

Panettiere died nearly three decades after beginning her professional acting career and at a time when she had continued speaking publicly about recovery and the difficulties of her earlier years.

The coroner’s ruling establishes the medical cause of death while the broader investigation remains unresolved.

Reporting Credit: Greenville County Coroner’s Office — autopsy, toxicology findings and official cause and manner of death; Greenville Police Department — death investigation and circumstances surrounding the Aug. 16 emergency response.

The post Hayden Panettiere Died From Accidental Drug Overdose Involving Fentanyl appeared first on Journos News - Breaking News, World News, Top Stories, Todays Headlines and Flash Reports.

Spotify is facing a serious problem — dozens of fake podcasts are popping up on the platform, promoting illegal online pharmacies that sell prescription drugs without a prescription.

A simple search for “Adderall” on Spotify’s podcast page reveals a mix of legitimate shows about ADHD, addiction recovery, and even comedy, but also dozens of suspicious pages disguised as podcasts. These shady channels link to sites claiming to sell drugs like Adderall, Oxycodone, Vicodin, and more — often without a prescription, which is illegal in the U.S.

A CNN review found dozens of these fake podcasts, with names like “My Adderall Store,” showing up within the first 50 search results. The podcasts promote various medications, from Methadone to Ambien, often advertising “delivery without prescription,” putting users at serious risk.

Spotify’s Response: Rapid Removal But Ongoing Challenge

After CNN alerted Spotify with a list of 26 offending podcasts, the platform swiftly removed them — but new ones quickly appeared. A Spotify spokesperson told CNN, “We are constantly working to detect and remove violating content across our service.” They emphasized that such content violates Spotify’s policies against illegal and spam content.

Still, these podcasts keep resurfacing, exposing gaps in Spotify’s moderation system — especially as AI and text-to-speech tools make it easier to churn out fake, spammy content quickly.

Dangerous Consequences and Growing Pressure

This issue isn’t just about platform rules — it’s a public health concern. Parents and safety advocates have urged tech companies to clamp down on counterfeit and illicit drug sales targeting young people. Multiple teens have died after overdosing on pills purchased from online sources promoted through digital platforms.

U.S. government agencies have repeatedly warned that buying prescription drugs online from unverified sources can be illegal and dangerous. Google faced a $500 million fine in 2011 for running ads promoting illegal online pharmacies, and the FDA has called on tech platforms like Facebook and Twitter (now X) to stop illegal opioid sales on their sites.

However, tech platforms often face little legal accountability because federal law protects them from what users post. “There’s no regulations,” says Katie Paul of the Tech Transparency Project. “That’s the reality.”

Examples of Fake Podcasts and How They Work

Some of these podcasts are eerily short, featuring computerized voices reading out drug ads. For example:

• Xtrapharma.com posted eight episodes under 10 seconds long, promoting drugs like Xanax and Oxycontin with claims of “FDA-approved delivery without prescription.”
• Order Xanax 2 mg Online Big Deal On Christmas Season offered a 26-second automated ad promising “Government approved medicine delivered to your doorstep.”

Other podcasts used the same website links across multiple fake shows, including one called “John Elizabeth,” which featured dozens of episodes with computer-generated voices pushing online pharmacy links.

The Scale of the Problem

Searches on Spotify revealed dozens of these fake podcasts in top search results:

• Seven of the first 100 podcasts for “Adderall” were ads for online pharmacies.
• 20 of the first 60 results for “Xanax” pushed illegal drug sales.
• Podcasts advertising drugs like Vyvanse, Codeine, and Percocet also appeared.

Most of these podcasts had no user ratings or reviews, so it’s unclear how many listeners encountered them or placed orders.

Spotify’s Content Rules and Moderation Efforts

Spotify allows anyone to create and distribute podcasts but prohibits illegal, hateful, sexually explicit, and spam content, including podcasts created solely to promote products or services. The company uses automated systems and human reviewers to enforce its rules.

Following past controversies — like backlash over Joe Rogan’s podcast spreading false COVID-19 information — Spotify has increased moderation efforts. It created a Safety Advisory Council and acquired Kinzen, a machine learning startup to help monitor audio content.

Experts Say More Must Be Done

Despite these efforts, experts say fake podcasts selling drugs expose how much more Spotify needs to do to protect users.

Sarah Gardner, CEO of the Heat Initiative, a nonprofit advocating child safety online, says, “Anywhere people can post user-generated content, you will find people selling drugs. It’s about what companies do to combat it.”

Bottom Line

Spotify’s fight against fake podcasts pushing illegal drug sales is ongoing, reflecting a broader challenge faced by all digital platforms hosting user-generated content. As AI tools make it easier to flood platforms with spam, companies must double down on moderation — especially when public health is at stake.

Source: CNN – Spotify is scrambling to remove dozens of podcasts promoting online prescription drug sales

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