By Page Six | Created at 2026-09-15 13:33:27 | Updated at 2026-10-06 09:00:21
2 weeks ago
Hayden Panettiere’s years-long text conversations with her alleged drug dealer are the focus of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) investigation into the actress’ death.
“There are a slew of messages about drugs,” a source involved in the investigation told TMZ.
The federal law enforcement agency source told the outlet that the “Heroes” actress and her drug dealer “were very specific about purchasing black market pills.”
The DEA believes Panettiere died Aug. 16 after consuming one oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl.
TMZ reported that the “Nashville” alum allegedly consumed several drugs she bought from the dealer on her flight from Los Angeles to South Carolina the day before she died.
The DEA is awaiting Panettiere’s toxicology results for further action.
In a statement, Panettiere’s rep told us: “The investigation is still ongoing. Law enforcement has not disclosed who they are targeting, but I am told the case is complex. We hope to have more answers soon.”
Panettiere was found unresponsive by her boyfriend Brian Hickerson’s brother, Zach Hickerson, in a Greenville, South Carolina, Airbnb on Aug. 16. She was 36.
According to a police report obtained by Page Six, the “Bring It On: All or Nothing” star was taking a “bag of medication” at the time of her death.
Zach claimed his brother gave his girlfriend, Panettiere, CPR and administered Narcan in the frantic moments after she was discovered unresponsive.
Over the weekend, Brian was handcuffed by police as he shouted about the late actress’ death following an alleged altercation at a bar in Greenville.
Police later released him from the scene and did not charge him.
If you or someone you care about is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Welcome to the Page Six Community!
Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space.
In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience.
Simply put, keep it civil.
Your post will/might be rejected if it contains:
- Spam
- Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language and threats of any kind
- Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author
User accounts will/might be blocked if we notice:
- Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
- Racist, sexist, or homophobic comments
- Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk
So, how can you be a power user?
- Stay on topic and share your passion. Feel free to elaborate to get your point across.
- 'Like' or 'Dislike' when you are filled with emotions!
- Protect your community. Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.
Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Don't forget, freedom of speech is not the freedom of reach!
