Stranger Things star Charlie Heaton was detained at an airport in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 21, after traces of cocaine were allegedly found in his luggage, Us Weekly confirms.
The 23-year-old actor flew from London to the U.S. for the hit Netflix sci-fi series’ season 2 premiere, which was held in L.A. on Thursday, October 26. Upon arrival, a small amount of the drug was detected by sniffer dogs and Heaton was denied entry by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “CBP officers treat all international travelers with integrity, respect and professionalism while keeping the highest standards of security,” the federal law enforcement agency said in a statement to Us.
According to TMZ, Heaton was not arrested, though he was deported back to London.
Us Weekly has reached out to Heaton’s rep for comment.
The news explains the East Yorkshire native’s absence from the star-studded premiere of the highly anticipated second season of Stranger Things, on which he plays Jonathan Byers, one of the show’s main characters. In the months leading up to the premiere, Heaton teased what fans could expect.
“You follow these characters a year later, and you’re straight back in the world of Hawkins, which we know and love so well,” he told Entertainment Tonight in November 2016. “The scope feels bigger this year. … From episode 1 through 4, it’s going to be a ride.”
Earlier this year, Heaton was spotted holding hands with his costar Natalia Dyer, who plays Nancy Wheeler, on numerous occasions, though they have yet to publicly confirm whether they are dating. Dyer, 20, was in attendance at the L.A. event on Thursday.
