By The Daily Caller (U.S.) | Created at 2026-09-14 16:21:34 | Updated at 2026-09-25 04:48:16
1 week ago
Multiple law enforcement sources believe Hayden Panettiere died after ingesting oxycodone laced with fentanyl.
Sources with direct knowledge of the case said the famous actress had a “longtime drug dealer” in Los Angeles who provided her with several black-market prescription drugs, and may have sold her the fatal pill, according to TMZ.
The outlet reported Sept. 14 that Panettiere consumed a number of drugs purchased from that dealer on the flight from Los Angeles to South Carolina the day before she died.
Authorities now believe she took an oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl on the morning that she passed away. The results of a toxicology test remain pending, and will ultimately shed more light on the tragic moments leading up to the star’s death.
The DEA in Los Angeles is reportedly investigating the matter in an effort to trace the fatal pill back to the dealer, working alongside the DEA in South Carolina to conduct the investigation. (RELATED: REPORT: Shocking Details Surface About Hayden Panettiere’s Boyfriend At Time Of Her Death)
Panettiere was found dead in an apartment Aug. 16, 2026, at age 36.
Her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, was on scene at the time of her passing, as was his brother. TMZ reported that Hickerson presented a bag of Panettiere’s prescription meds to first responders.
Hickerson administered Narcan to Panettiere but was unsuccessful.
