DEA Investigates Hayden Panettiere's Text Messages With Alleged Drug Dealer After Her Death at 36

The DEA is investigating years of text messages between Hayden Panettiere and a man they believe sold her drugs, according to reporting from Page Six. The actress died on August 16 at age 36 in a Greenville, South Carolina Airbnb. Sources say the messages are specific about purchasing black market pills, and investigators believe she died after taking an oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl. There’s also reporting that she used drugs bought from that same dealer on a flight the day before her death.

No charges have been filed, and the DEA is waiting on toxicology results before deciding what comes next. Panettiere’s rep says the investigation is ongoing and complex, and law enforcement hasn’t disclosed who they’re targeting. Brian Hickerson, her boyfriend, and his brother Zach, who found her unresponsive, are among the names connected to the case.

This story lands in the middle of a fentanyl crisis that’s affecting families in rural towns and big cities alike. Fake pills pressed to look like the real thing are behind a growing share of overdose deaths nationwide. If the toxicology results confirm what investigators suspect, this could become another case about holding dealers accountable.

What do you think needs to change to keep fake pills out of our communities? Let us know in the comments.