Buffy star Nicholas Brendon busted for prescription drug fraud

Former Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Nicholas Brendon found himself in a bit of trouble that adds to the legal woes for the embattled actor. Brendon, who played Xander Harris for seven seasons on the cult hit series, was arrested for alleged prescription drug fraud.

According to TMZ, Brendon was driving erratically down a road in Vigo County, Indiana, when cops spotted his Dodge Journey after he failed to signal and was swerving all over the place. When the cops pulled him over, they said they noticed that he was sweating profusely and “appeared nervous due to a visibly racing pulse on his neck and shaking hands.” The actor was asked for his ID and the cops say that he handed over California identification with the name of Kelton Schultz. Brendon then claimed that Kelton was his twin brother. It should be noted that Brendon does have a twin brother who goes by the professional name of Kelly Donovan and he had also previously appeared on Buffy the Vampire Slayer with the former star.

When searching Brendon, the cops found a pill bottle in his pocket containing amphetamine tablets prescribed to Schultz. When the officers ran the license, they found a related warrant in Idaho under the alias Nicholas Bender, who also had the same birth date as Schultz. Upon further investigation, it was obtained that the actor was born Nicholas Brendon Schultz.

When cops searched Brendon’s car, officers found a small plastic bag containing crystal/powder residue which was suspected to be meth or cocaine, according to the affidavit obtained by TMZ. The cops also found another pill bottle with medicine prescribed to Bender. The affidavit also says that officers observed that several trim pieces in the near-new car looked broken or tampered with and the carpeting was cut in multiple places with suspicious marks on multiple screws.

The K-9 search of the vehicle led to the discovery of more plastic bags containing residue but no other contraband, as well as another prescription for Schultz for amphetamine salts that had been filled a day prior. Brendon handing over an ID with a different name to his own was primarily discovered when the actor answered after the officer addressed him as “Hey Nick.” This led to the cops asking him what he lied about his name and this is when he claimed that he has a twin brother, which is true, and that they have the same prescription and sometimes fill it for each other. Officers then suspected that Brendon was either abusing the pills or selling them, and either using his brother’s ID or a fake ID to score more. Eventually, Brendon provided his actual name and Social Security number and was arrested and book at Vigo County Jail. He was released later that day, according to online jail records

Nicholas Brendon has had a rough go at it since Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended in 2003. Brendon has previously been arrested for grand theft, resisting arrest, battery against a peace officer, and criminal mischief, with raps sheets in states that include California, Idaho, Florida, and New York. In 2015, Brendon appeared on Dr. Phil to address his issues but he walked off the show after citing that he’d been battling depression and substance abuse issues. Last year, the actor struck a plea deal after allegedly attacking his girlfriend at a Palm Springs hotel in 2017. The outcome of that case had Brendon agreeing to serve three years probation and complete a 52-week domestic violence course, along with 20 hours of community service as a part of his plea deal.

I hope this is the wake-up call that Nicholas Brendon needs to get his life together. I’m a HUGE Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan and I loved him on that show but, just from following him in recent years on Instagram, it appears that he’s a bit stuck in the past success that he had with that series. He clearly needs a new focus and needs to reexamine what he has of value now in his life and should know that it’s ok not to live up to what he had with that show once upon a time.

What are YOUR thoughts on this latest Nicholas Brendon news? The actor’s next court date is set for December 12, 2021.