Federal investigation looks into possible counterfeit drugs in Hayden Panettiere death
U.S. authorities are investigating whether actress Hayden Panettiere died after taking counterfeit medication supplied by a Southern California dealer, with toxicology results pending.
Federal investigators are examining whether Hayden Panettiere, 36, died after ingesting a counterfeit pill that she believed to be a different substance. The probe follows her death on August 16 in Greenville, South Carolina, where emergency responders found her in cardiac arrest and were unable to revive her. The Greenville County coroner has not released an autopsy report, citing ongoing toxicology testing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Los Angeles-area law enforcement have interviewed multiple individuals in California and South Carolina and are expanding the inquiry to any other locations that may be linked to the case. Authorities are focusing on whether a Southern California dealer supplied the actress with illicit or counterfeit medication.
Panettiere’s representative, Kasey Kitchen, told CNN that the investigation remains active and that reports suggesting otherwise are unverified. The actress’s boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother called 911 after finding her unresponsive, and Hickerson presented a bag of her medications to police, though the contents have not been disclosed.
Greenville police reported no signs of foul play or trauma in the initial response and in an autopsy performed the following day. The law firm representing Hickerson, Ellis Hinton, reiterated that the investigation is ongoing and declined further comment.
Law enforcement nationwide has been targeting dealers who sell realistic-looking pills that contain dangerous substances, with some facing murder charges after users die. The outcome of Panettiere’s toxicology tests will be critical to determining the role, if any, of counterfeit drugs in her death.