Hayden Panettiere's Ex Meets With DEA as Investigators Search for a Possible Dealer

Brian Hickerson, the ex-boyfriend of Hayden Panettiere, has reportedly met with the DEA as federal investigators dig into her death, according to sources who say authorities are homing in on a possible dealer who may have sold her the drugs involved. Panettiere died August 16 at an Airbnb in Greenville, South Carolina, from an apparent overdose. Narcan was reportedly found at the scene, and no toxicology results have been released yet, which means a lot of what’s circulating is still unconfirmed.

Hickerson and his brother Zach were both present when she died. His attorney has said the death remains under investigation and that police found no signs of foul play. But Panettiere’s estranged mother, Lesley Vogel, has publicly questioned Hickerson’s account, claiming there’s a discrepancy in the timeline and suggesting he left to buy Narcan while Hayden was still there. That public back-and-forth between family and an ex has kept the story in the headlines as the federal case quietly builds.

The DEA’s involvement signals that this is being treated as a drug investigation, not just a tragic accident. Which raises the bigger question: should the person who sells a fatal dose face charges even when the buyer took it willingly? Drop your take in the comments below.