actress

Federal authorities probing the death of actor Hayden Panettiere are focusing on where the drugs and medications that played a role in her death came from, echoing similar probes that resulted in charges for suppliers in the deaths of Matthew Perry and Mac Miller.

Drug Enforcement Administration agents and local investigators have questioned several people about the circumstances of her Aug. 16 death, focusing on potential controlled substances and medications tied to her demise inside a Greenville, S.C., apartment, according to sources familiar with the probe.

Paramedics and police found Panettiere in cardiac arrest, according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office. Dispatch audio recordings from Broadcastify.com reference a possible overdose and CPR in progress. Narcan was reportedly administered by paramedics who arrived, and after efforts to resuscitate her, she was declared dead at 2:31 p.m.

Her death echoes that of actor Matthew Perry and rapper Mac Miller, both of whom succumbed to overdoses. In their respective cases, prosecutors secured convictions for the people who supplied Perry with ketamine and Miller with cocaine and oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl. Perry’s demise in his hot tub led to his assistant, two doctors, a producer and a woman dubbed the “Ketamine Queen” pleading guilty.

The Greenville County coroner, in the wake of Panettiere’s death, conducted an autopsy but has not made a formal finding on the cause of death and toxicology results are pending.

Panettiere lived in Los Angeles, but her boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, is a Greenville native, according to authorities. A police report outlined the initial response from police who arrived at the scene. The report states that Hickerson and his brother Zach Hickerson were with Panettiere inside an apartment when the 36-year-old actor died.

According to the police report, Brian Hickerson showed an officer “a bag of medications HAYDEN is currently on.”

Several areas of the report were redacted, including statements from the brothers about what transpired as they called 911.

The officer who authored the report, Matthew Bryan, wrote that he recorded an interview with Brian Hickerson on his body-worn camera, and observed Zach Hickerson being “very emotional” while first responders tried to revive the actor. Brian Hickerson became emotional after she was declared dead, Officer Matthew Bryan wrote.

Later, he said that authorities obtained video of three individuals coming and going from the apartment from the complex’s security, which helped detectives with a search warrant.

Sloan Ellis, a South Carolina attorney for Hickerson hired in the wake of Panettiere’s death, said in a statement, “Hayden’s death remains under investigation, and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed. As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play. Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.”

Sources familiar with the probe have met with DEA agents about the actor‘s death, according to People magazine and TMZ.

Hickerson was arrested multiple times on suspicion of domestic violence against Panettiere, beginning in May 2019 in Los Angeles, though the charges were later dismissed when prosecutors couldn’t secure a material witness.

Following an eight-count criminal indictment in 2020 that covered multiple violent incidents over the previous year, Hickerson pleaded no contest in April 2021 to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend.

He was sentenced to 45 days in county jail along with four years of formal probation, ordered to attend mandatory domestic violence classes, and received a five-year protective order.

Crew Girl heartthrob Sam Braun is openly dating a fellow actress

Crew Girl viewers have been left curious about Sam Braun’s off-screen love life, and it’s not as tangled as his character’s.

The Canadian actor plays popular boy Josh Regis in the brand new young adult show, now available to stream on Netflix. The drama follows Teagan (played by Miku Martineau), a skilled teenage rower who is forced to move to a small town after a family scandal.

She hopes to have a fresh start at the prestigious Easton Prep, but soon discovers she will be the only female on her new school’s rowing team. A synopsis reveals: “Thrust into a world of old money and brutal competition, Teagan must find a way to lead a team that doesn’t want her and somehow bring them together.”

As well as juggling her rowing ambitions and family complications, Teagan also finds herself at the heart of a heated love triangle with Josh and Cam (Kyle Clark). We won’t spoil who she chooses in the end, but many fans have already rallied behind Team Josh.

But what is there to know about actor Sam’s real-life romances?

Who is Sam Braun’s partner?

Sam appears to be dating fellow actress Shanti Harris. The couple often posts loved-up pictures on Instagram, documenting everything from their romantic trips to work collaborations.

She has theatre experience as well as credits in short films, including Untethered, The First Dance, and Laundry. Sam and Shanti are also performing together on a new play called The Truth and Darers, which was written by Shanti.

It’s currently showing at the Vancouver Fringe and follows six teenagers who strike up a high-stakes game of Truth or Dare.

The first season of Crew Girl landed on Netflix on Thursday morning (September 10), and some fans are already hoping it’ll return for a second series. There’s no news yet on the future of the show, but the leading stars have ideas on where the story could go next.

“If we go to season 2, I think we should go on summer break or something, get lost in the woods,” Sam told Tudum. “It’d be really fun to do a summer bash and be on the lake boat and see what their life is [like] outside of rowing too.”

Meanwhile, Kyle added: “We really want to step it up if we have more time.” With leading lady Miku stating: “Who knows what can happen in season 2? A love square — is that even possible?”

Crew Girl is streaming now on Netflix

Birds of a Feather star Pauline Quirke was diagnosed with dementia in 2021.

Pauline Quirke’s son Charlie has spoken out about his mum amid her dementia battle, revealing “every day is different”.

The actress went public with her condition last year after first being diagnosed with dementia in 2021. Since then, the Birds of a Feather star has stepped out of the spotlight.

And on Wednesday (September 9), her son Charlie appeared on ITV’s Lorraine, where he spoke about a new campaign he is a part of for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

He said: “Alzheimer’s Research UK has made this brand campaign, and it’s putting a positive light on something that doesn’t have a lot of positivity around it. We believe someone alive today could be the first person to be cured of Alzheimer’s disease.”

Charlie then issued a fresh update on his beloved mum. Lorraine asked him: “When I was telling everyone you were in this morning, and you know the affection for your mum is huge, they just all want to know how she is?”

Charlie replied: “Mum, she’s great. Every day is different, it’s part of our journey. We still do as much as we can, we still go out for lunch, I made her sit through the West Ham win last night.”

Charlie added, “We’ve got such a close family unit that it makes it easier on our journey. But touch wood, she’s happy.”

Lorraine said: “That’s the main thing, that she’s happy and she’s safe and she feels surrounded by people that love her.”

Former Emmerdale actress Pauline’s dementia diagnosis became public knowledge last year, though her son Charlie Quirke disclosed in November that Pauline could still identify her relatives.

He revealed to BBC Breakfast at the time: “My mum knows exactly who we are. Every time she sees all of us, she smiles, laughs, says ‘I love you’, says ‘hello’.”

Pauline’s spouse, Steve, admitted they remain uncertain about precisely where the actress stands regarding the dementia, a condition that leads to deteriorating cognitive and memory abilities.

He explained: “Unfortunately, we are not in the state where we can do much about it. Just take every day, and try to take the best moment out of that day you can.

EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One.

KRISTEN Wiig has stunned in sexy black lingerie for her raciest look yet in a new photoshoot.

The actress turned heads with her makeover for her spread in the latest issue of Perfect magazine.

Kristen, 53, looked completely transformed in her skimpy all-black outfits, which were considerably more revealing than her usual attire.

One photo captured the comedian posing in a body-hugging mini dress and a blazer.

The dress featured beading over her chest and a matching design on the cuffs of her coat.

Meanwhile, her legs were on full display, with her dress’s super-high slit showcasing her upper thighs.

Kristen finished the look with white pointed-toe heels, heavy makeup, and her tousled blonde hair at her shoulders.

The Bridesmaids star kept the edgy style in another photo, modeling a skintight dress with a see-through lace top.

She slouched in a chair, her hair covering half her face, showing off dark eye makeup and massive gold statement earrings.

Kristen’s third outfit again showed the TV star in a different light as she rocked pants and a matching blazer, with nothing underneath.

The Masters of the Universe star ditched her bra and a shirt to tease her bare breasts beneath the blazer.

She wore long, dangly earrings with the same messy hair-look and heavy makeup.

Kristen continued to stun in her photos, as another captured the Saturday Night Live alum standing by a pool in a bra and panty set.

She added see-through lace tights and high heels to her bottom half, keeping her abs and toned arms exposed on top.

The Despicable Me star concealed her eyes with a massive bucket hat, posing with her hands on her hips.

Kristen wore a similar ensemble during a baking session in the kitchen, including a tiny bra, leggings, and leather boots.

She perched one leg on a table while mixing ingredients in a bowl, oversized sunglasses covering her eyes.

A couple of other inside shots captured the Palm Royale actress in a form-fitting strapless dress with a deep V-neck, and a long-sleeved sweater dress with big fur sleeves.

It’s rare to see Kristen in such daring looks, worlds apart from her hysterical costume in her iconic Target Lady sketch on SNL.

She also wore a prim-and-proper wardrobe with bright colors and perfectly styled hairdos in her latest TV series, Palm Royale.

The Apple TV series, which follows her character Maxine Dellacorte-Simmons as she vies to become the belle of 1960s Palm Beach, was canceled earlier this year after two seasons.

Emmerdale’s Claire King revealed her heartache over co-star Olivia Bromley’s exit from the ITV soap, following Dawn Fletcher’s death

Emmerdale actress Claire King has shared her heartache over co-star Olivia Bromley’s exit from the soap, following an explosive episode.

The 30-year-old has played Dawn Fletcher in the long-running ITV programme for eight years, sharing the screen with Claire’s Kim Tate, her stepmother.

Fans were left shocked when her character was killed off in devastating scenes on her tragic wedding day, after prematurely giving birth to a baby boy with partner Joe Tate. In the emotional footage, she suffered internal bleeding and sadly died after giving birth.

Touching on the episode in a press roundtable, Claire described their final few moments together on set as “heartbreaking”.

“But we did have a good laugh that week because we were all outside this massive marquee where we were doing all the wedding stuff and car crash, and it’s all supposed to be tragic but we were all actually having a good life.

“We had some really nice people on set that day. Great crew, and it was just a bit of camaraderie.

“But I could see as the days went on to the final day she was getting more and more sort of angst and things.”

Dawn made a big impact when she arrived in the Dales almost a decade ago, and has been at the centre of huge storylines since then – including the moment she found her long lost son, and her on-off romance with ex-husband Billy.

Olivia was told of her character’s fate earlier this year, with bosses teasing the huge exit plot. However, despite the advanced warning, she admitted that she found it tough to bid farewell.

“It was the toughest storyline I’ve done during my time in the soap,” she told the Mirror.

“I was surprised by how emotional I found it and it was way more emotional than I was expecting. I did cry.

“It is very strange to kill off your character as an actor and in front of your colleagues. But that said, what a gift to be given. Often people leave and just slip off.”

She added: “Psychologically, now I have had time to reflect, I know it’s good for me, because I can say bye to my Emmerdale chapter. It’s been brilliant. I was originally only signed up for 12 episodes and I’ve stayed eight years!”

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Emmerdale star Nicola Wheeler has warned there’s more trouble ahead for Nicola King following Jimmy King’s heartbreaking death, as the fallout from the crash continues

Emmerdale star Nicola Wheeler has warned there’s more trouble ahead for her character following Jimmy King’s death.

Nick Miles departed the ITV soap last week in sad scenes when Jimmy got caught up in the marquee incident. Devastatingly, Jimmy died with Nicola by his side in heartbreaking scenes, but the fallout from the death continues.

Next week, Nicola is anxious about affording to give Jimmy the funeral he deserves. She decides to turn to Jimmy’s haulage shares for Elliot and his future, before later discovering that Jimmy has sold them.

As Nicola realises the money from the sale of the shares is missing, she discovers that they are in more financial worries than she knew. The family home has been remortgaged and in arrears and Nicola is continuing to struggle.

Speaking about her own future, she said: “She can’t believe that life is going to exist without him (Jimmy), especially as the day was supposed to start with something very romantic, and it ended in tragedy.

“Why can’t Nicola have lots of different relationships? I’ve tried to pit she should start going on dating apps and just get horrendous dates and really bad experiences. It would bring quite a bit of fun back into it.”

Warning there was quite the surprise ahead, she added: ” think the audience are gonna be mighty surprised at the life Jimmy was leading that nobody knew about. It’s unsettling because it’s totally against his personality. You would never imagine that Jimmy in this world would behave like this.”

Filming Nick’s final scenes was “surreal” for Nicola, who has worked with the actor for years.

She said: “It was really surreal. It sort of ends, and you go, ‘Oh gosh, that’s it’. We’ll never be Nick and Jimmy again together. I was gutted because I think it’s the institution that Jimmy and Nicola were, where I was sort of like, ‘oh God, that’s over’.

“Even whilst we were filming it all, it never felt real because we film out of sync. When it came to doing all the scenes where he dies, it was odd. It’s almost like you didn’t want to do it. They were beautifully written scenes, so you want to do them justice but at the same time, you don’t want them to end because then it means this is final.”

As for what’s next, Nicola has hinted there could be a new romance on the cards – from an unlikely source.

“I can’t imagine the character would ever fully move on. I think there’s always going to be part of her that loves him. Her heart will grow to fit another love in, but she will never let Jimmy go,” she explained.

“Something happens in which I can only say Nicola behaves appallingly, and Kev is a gentleman, and I think from that moment she starts to see him in a different light.”

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Abigail Cruttenden played the unhappily married Kate Weedon on ITV’s Benidorm

Benidorm’s Kate Weedon actress has a rather famous ex in real life.

Abigail Cruttenden joined the ITV sitcom in its first series in 2007 as short-tempered and unhappily married Kate. Kate rocked up at the iconic all-inclusive Solana resort with husband Martin (Nicholas Burns) and she was not at all impressed.

It didn’t take long for Kate to become a firm favourite with Benidorm viewers before her exit in 2009. As well as Benidorm, actress Abigail has appeared in the likes of Jane Eyre, Fresh Meat, Casualty, Citizen Khan and Midsomer Murders.

She also played Anna in the BBC sitcom Not Going Out from 2014 to 2023. And it turns out Abigail was once married to a fellow famous face: actor Sean Bean.

Abigail and Sean – who has starred in the likes of The Lord of the Rings, Games of Thrones and the James Bond series – met when they worked together on ITV’s Sharpe in 1996. On the show, she played Jane Gibbons, the on-screen wife of Sean’s character Richard Sharpe.

Talking about Sean at the time, Abigail previously said: “When I told people I was going to be working with Sean, they said: ‘My God, you’re so lucky’.”

As Free Library reports, she added: “He has such a huge appeal to women. And I think he is lovely – a very attractive bloke. We are in bed together a few times – even before we get married. Disgraceful, I know. Because you wouldn’t expect that from Sharpe.”

Although the pair didn’t strike up a romance straight away, Abigail and Sean ended up dating and got married in 1997. A year later they welcomed a daughter, Evie.

“I was there when Evie was born. It was a very moving experience, stunning,” Sean previously shared. However, in 2000 Abigail and Sean got divorced.

In 2003, Abigail married Jonathan R. Fraser and they have a daughter. As for Sean, the award-winning actor went on to marry Georgina Sutcliffe from 2008 to 2010, and Ashley Moore, whom he’s been married to since 2017.

Meanwhile rumours of a Benidorm return have been swirling for several years now. Discussing a potential return, Sherrie Hewson – who played Joyce Temple-Savage – acknowledged that the series would need to “move on” if it came back to television.

“I think Derren Litten (writer and creator) would bring in other people, different acts in the Neptune’s bar, different singers, and different families. It would be the same kind of thing, but you have to move on, don’t you?” she said.

She added: “There are people who couldn’t be in it because we’ve lost people. You’d have to move on and bring in new characters, which is actually quite exciting. Joyce would actually have to vet them all – that would be brilliant.”

Watch Benidorm on ITVX.

Talent runs in Downton Abbey star Phyllis Logan’s family as her husband is a fellow actor

Downton Abbey’s Phyllis Logan isn’t the only famous member of her family.

The 70-year-old actress is best known for playing the resolute yet compassionate housekeeper Mrs Hughes in the hit period drama.

She played the character across all six seasons of the ITV series and also returned for the subsequent feature films, including Downton Abbey (2019), Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022), and Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (2025).

Mrs Hughes, also known as Elsie Carson, ran the entire servant branch of Downton Abbey alongside Thomas Barrow (Rob James-Collier), after he replaced her husband, Charles Carson (Jim Carter), as butler.

The character was involved in a number of memorable storylines during her time in Yorkshire, including a cancer scare, and her slow-burn romance with Mr Carson.

It turns out that talent runs in actress Phyllis’s family, as her husband is also an actor who appeared in Downton Abbey. Phyllis is married to English actor and writer Kevin McNally. They met in 1994, before marrying in August 2011.

Kevin began his acting career in the BBC’s TV adaptation of I, Claudius, but is best known for playing Joshamee Gibbs in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

That’s not all, as he also shared the screen with his wife in Downton Abbey. Kevin notably played Horace Bryant in the series, who was the father of Major Charles Bryant (Daniel Pirrie).

Charles fathered a child with housemaid Ethel Parks (Amy Nuttall) before dying in the war. Horace initially refused to acknowledge or support the child, before later stepping in.

Fans have been left speechless after realising Phyllis’s real-life connection to Kevin, whose Downton Abbey character looks completely different from his role in Pirates of the Caribbean.

“Just found out that Phyllis Logan (Mrs. Hughes) is married to Kevin McNally (horrible Mr. Bryant)!!” one person wrote on Reddit. Another added: “The dude from Pirates of the Caribbean? That’s awesome,” while a third said: “I had no idea they were the same person. He looks so different in DA.”

Someone else wrote: “I had to google who Mr Bryant was as I’d forgotten and wow I didn’t recognise the actor at all,” with another similarly sharing: “The fact that so many are amazed at how different those two characters are attest to McNally’s acting skill.”

Downton Abbey is streaming for free on ITVX

HAYDEN Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend was by her side when the star died – and showed police a “bag of medication”.

Brian Hickerson did not become visibly emotional until EMS declared the 36-year-old actress dead, according to a heavily redacted report released by Greenville Police.

He was at the rented Airbnb apartment in Greenville, South Carolina, where the beloved Nashville and Heroes star was found “unresponsive” on Sunday, according to police bodycam footage that is yet to be released to the public.

Brian showed officers the medication that Hayden was taking at the time of her death, NBC News reported.

His brother, Zach, also witnessed her death, and was “very emotional” as emergency medical services professionals were “working on Hayden.”

Responding officer Matthew Bryan said he first spoke with Zach at the scene.

TOXIC ROMANCE

Hayden Panettiere’s dark relationship with Brian Hickerson before her death

FINAL HOURS

Hayden Panettiere investigation ‘ongoing’ as autopsy shows ‘no signs of trauma’

According to TMZ, Zach actually first discovered Hayden sitting in a chair in the living room when he entered the home on Sunday afternoon.

Brian had been asleep in a separate room at the time, the outlet reported.

Hayden, who struggled with opioid and alcohol addiction, was described by the 911 dispatchers as suffering from a cardiac arrest and suspected overdose.

Narcan, a nasal spray used to reverse the effects of opioid overdoses, was discovered on the mattress of the apartment where she was staying, TMZ reported.

Authorities have not determined that an overdose caused Hayden’s death, and the coroner’s findings remain pending.

An autopsy was completed on Monday, and officials said that “no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death.”

First responders initiated cardiac life support measures when they arrived at the scene, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, the statement added.

Hayden’s relationship with Brian was highly volatile, spanning from 2018 until her death, and involved multiple domestic violence arrests, jail time and a rumoured secret reconciliation recently.

The pair began dating in 2018, sparking controversy almost immediately.

Her family and friends were “deeply concerned,” a source told Radar Online in November 2018.

“They do not approve. They are hoping that this is something that she is going to evolve from,” the source said.

The two stayed together, and things went from bad to worse.

Brian was arrested twice – once in 2019 and then in 2020 – for domestic violence.

In May 2019, Brian was arrested for domestic violence after an incident at the actress’ Hollywood home.

Soon after the second incident, Hayden released a statement to her fans about his past arrests.

“I am coming forward with the truth about what happened to me with the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve,” she said.

“I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again.

“I’m grateful for my support system, which helped me find the courage to regain my voice and my life.”

Hayden and Brian kept a low profile during the final years of her life. He was spotted attending her brother Jansen’s funeral by her side in 2023.

He was also seen helping her through a Los Angeles airport while she hobbled on crutches in March of this year.

When the actress released her memoir earlier this year, it was reported that they had split long ago.

But according to TMZ, the couple was fully together and hiding the romance.

“Hayden’s team felt Brian was bad for business,” a source told the outlet.

THE tragic last post of Hayden Panettiere paid tribute to “good times and good friends” just weeks before she passed away aged 36.

The Heroes and Nashville actress died on Sunday, her father said this morning.

Hayden’s final Instagram post was made on July 27, only 21 days ago, as she smiled alongside photographer pal Randall Slavin.

The carefree and happy snap shows the pair smiling at each other as Panettiere winks playfully at the camera.

In a caption accompanying the snap, which appears to be from a busy event, the Scream star wrote: “Good times and good friends.”

The post has 40,000 likes from Hayden’s one million followers.

Responding to his friend’s death, Slavin, 56, shared the photo on his own Instagram page.

He wrote alongside the black-and-white snap: “Peace be with you, H”.

Other fans flocked to her social media pages to leave their own tributes.
One said: “Rip to the most beautiful soul ever.”

Another wrote: “This just brought me intense sadness.

“I’ve followed your work since I was a little girl, and have been following you for years because you seem like such a wonderful person who deserves so much better in life.”

Sources told TMZ that the mother-of-one had complained of back pain in the months before her death on Sunday.

Hayden’s father, Skip, confirmed the tragic news.

In a statement, he said: “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden.

“She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her – and to the millions who watched her onscreen.”

He asked for privacy “as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss”.

The star’s family did not give a cause or location of death, however TMZ reported both Panettiere and boyfriend Brian Hickerson had flown out of Los Angeles on Saturday.

The website also reported that police responded to an “incident” and that an investigation is ongoing.