Ethan Suplee Honors Hayden Panettiere in Vulnerable Essay, Reveals He Used Heroin During ‘Remember the Titans’ Premiere Night

The 50-year-old shared the essay on Substack this week, recounting three separate moments during the film's production and premiere weekend when he slipped away to use.

Ethan Suplee is remembering the late actress Hayden Panettiere in a heartfelt essay, in which he revealed his own struggles with drug addiction. The actor, 50, starred alongside Panettiere in the 2000 biopic "Remember the Titans."

Ethan Suplee speaks on stage during 2026 FAN EXPO at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on January 9 in New Orleans, Louisiana. | Source: Getty Images

Suplee and Panettiere stood out among a young cast that helped carry the Denzel Washington-led football drama. The film was based on the true story of Coach Herman Boone (played by Washington) and the integration of the 1971 T.C. Williams High School football team.

After news broke of Panettiere's death on Sunday, Suplee reflected on the night of the film's premiere.

"September 23, 2000, was the night of the Remember the Titans premiere at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena," he wrote on Substack on Monday, August 17. "On the red carpet, Hayden Panettiere, the ten-year-old girl from the movie, ran up to me, leapt into my arms, and gave me a big hug."

"Holding her I was lighter, some of her energy and innocence washed over me, and for a moment my smile was genuine," he said, before confessing, "I went from the press line to the bathroom and smoked heroin."

Suplee recalled arriving late to a cast meetup with their real-life counterparts, where he came face-to-face with Louis Lastik, the man he'd portrayed as the lovable heart of the squad. "He wasn't fat. Not like I was," Suplee wrote.

"I imagined his disappointment at seeing who they'd gotten to play him. So I went back to the bathroom and smoked heroin," he said.

Ethan Suplee, circa 2001 | Source: Getty Images

Suplee also described a chaotic mishap during the group's outing with the real football players they portrayed: the golf cart he'd been assigned collapsed beneath him, snapping a wheel in the process.

With the rest of the group already moving ahead, he and Louis were left waiting for a replacement cart, and by the time they caught up, they'd fallen far behind the others. "While the movie played, I sat in the bathroom, cried, and smoked heroin," he said.

Ethan Suplee during "John Q" Los Angeles Premiere at Directors Guild Of America on February 7, 2002 in Westwood, California. | Source: Getty Images

Panettiere made a lasting impression in "Remember the Titans" as Sheryl Yoast, the football-obsessed daughter of Boone's top assistant coach.

She more than held her own alongside a stacked ensemble that included Washington, Will Patton, Ryan Hurst, Wood Harris, Kate Bosworth, and Ryan Gosling. "I saw Hayden one last time, as we made our way out of the stadium," Suplee said of the premiere.

"Once again, she leapt into my arms, and once again I felt some relief," he continued. "I didn't die of an accidental overdose that night. But I went to bed believing I wouldn't wake up, and that didn't seem so bad. Better than whatever a new day offered."

Hayden Panettierre at the world premiere of '102 Dalmatians' at Radio City Music Hall on November 13, 2000 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

"I feel a tremendous sense of loss today, I don't know what they were going through at the end," Suplee wrote of Panettiere's death.

He concluded, "I only know that for them, the battle is over. And I'm sad. The miracle of my life wasn't just asking for help, it was finding the courage to accept it. Something that seemed impossible."

Not long after wrapping his role in "Remember the Titans," Suplee got sober and went on to lose more than 250 pounds over the following years. He has since stayed active in the acting industry while also working as a health advocate.