# Drugs at their fingertips, intense pressure: Why child stars fall into addiction

https://mins.news/en/item/29102

- BBC News, 2026-08-21 23:41 UTC
- Culture
- Original: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq56x3910jwo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

> Hayden Panettiere said she was first given a pill at 16 while starring in Heroes, when fame, exhaustion and pressure in Hollywood felt overwhelming. Addiction experts told the BBC that child stars can face distinctive risks because they encounter adult experiences, drugs and alcohol early while lacking adult protection. Panettiere’s sudden death has renewed attention on her mental-health and substance-abuse struggles. Her autopsy found no trauma, but the cause of death has not been released and further tests are pending.

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- [The untimely death of former child star Hayden Panettiere](https://mins.news/en/item/29505) — CNN, 2026-08-22