Hayden Panettiere’s ‘slew of’ incriminating texts with drug dealer under DEA investigation

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 is investigating the texts between Hayden Panettiere (seen above in LA in 2007) and her alleged drug dealer. GC Images “There are a slew of messages about drugs,” a source involved in the investigation told TMZ. (Pictured: Panettiere at the “Today” show in 2024.) GC Images 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. The source told the outlet that the “Heroes” actress (seen above in a leopard print mini dress) and her drug dealer “were very specific about purchasing black market pills.” haydenpanettiere/Instagram The DEA believes Panettiere (seen above on a hike in 2025) died Aug. 16 after consuming one oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl. haydenpanettiere/Instagram Want more celebrity and pop culture news? Start your day with Page Six Daily. Thanks for signing up! 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. The “Nashville” alum was found unresponsive by her boyfriend Brian Hickerson’s brother, Zach, in a Greenville, South Carolina, Airbnb. (Pictured: Brian and Panettiere at a boxing match in 2018.) Eric Charbonneau/Shutterstock Brian (seen above with Panettiere in an airport in March) performed CPR and administered Narcan to the actress. LionsShareNews / BACKGRID 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). Community Guidelines 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!