DEA joins Hayden Panettiere’s ongoing death investigation

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Key points

• If you or someone you care regarding is affected by any of the matters raised in this story, call SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
• In 2018, Panettiere offered up custody of her now 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, against the backdrop of her struggles with substance abuse and postpartum depression.
• She was photographed in March with Brian at Los Angeles International Airport using crutches to obtain around.
• The Drug Enforcement Administration has joined the investigation into Hayden Panettiere's death.
• She'd additionally been candid previously concerning her battle with addiction, previously telling Individuals in 2022 that she "couldn't live without" alcohol and opioids at one point.

Notably, the Drug Enforcement Administration has joined the investigation into Hayden Panettiere's death.

Law enforcement authorities confirmed to Page Six that the DEA is working alongside the Greenville Police Department and the coroner's office to investigate the actress' death on Sunday, and that it may be the result of a drug overdose.

TMZ previously documented that a device employed to dispense Narcan – a drug applied to reverse an overdose – was located on a mattress nearby where the actress died at a South Carolina Airbnb. It's unclear if a dose was administered to Panettiere.

Paramedics initially responded to a call regarding a victim in "cardiac arrest, " and paramedics performed CPR for the "overdose, " according to a 911 dispatch call obtained by Page Six.

Emergency responders additionally tried to resuscitate the actress with "advanced cardiac life support, " but she was ultimately pronounced dead at 2: 32 p.m. Local time.

When she died, panettiere was at the apartment with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother, Zach Hickerson. Want more celebrity and pop culture news? Start your day with Page Six Daily.

According to a police report obtained by Page Six, Brian had shown officers a "bag of medication" she had been taking.

While it's unclear what the substances were, the "Ice Princess" star's hairdresser and good friend, Erick Orellana, exclusively informed Page Six that Panettiere suffered from intense back pain in the months leading up to her death.

At the time, her daughter went to live with her ex-fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko, in Ukraine.

Nevertheless, Panettiere has built a robust bond with Kaya over the years and had planned to visit the latter abroad in the coming weeks.

Panettiere's cause of death has yet to be made public. Her autopsy indicated she had no "signs of trauma, " we previously noted.

In practice, the "Disney" alum and Brian had flown from California to the south the day before she died.

For context, the duo have been involved in an on-and-off relationship since 2018 and reconnected a few weeks before her tragic passing.

Notably, an insider informed Page Six that Brian – who's been arrested multiple times for domestic violence against her – "would always find a way to work his way back into Hayden's life as 'a friend, '" describing him as "a real jerk."

For now, DEA joins Hayden Panettiere's ongoing death investigation remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.