Ice-T's Fame and Fentanyl examines fentanyl's toll on celebs

Ice-T is using his platform to highlight a crisis that has touched his inner circle and, he says, the broader public: fentanyl’s rising lethality and the way it has infiltrated a wide range of drugs. The AE documentary special Fame and Fentanyl, which he executive produces and hosts, premieres August 25 and examines the toll the drug has taken on celebrities and everyday people alike. The program tallies high-profile deaths—including Coolio, Michael K. Williams, Prince, Angus Cloud, and Tom Petty—through postmortem toxicology findings and personal accounts, and it aims to educate viewers about the street-level danger and the ease with which a single exposure can prove fatal.

The project is deeply personal for Ice-T. He recounts two devastating losses that shaped his engagement with the issue: the death of Coolio in 2022 and the death of Williams a year earlier. “When it hit Coolio and it hit Mike, that was the nail in the coffin,” he reflects, explaining that the experiences forced him to confront the reality that fentanyl can kill quickly and unexpectedly. Ice-T recalls his friendship with Coolio, describing him as healthy and someone who spoke openly about his life, and he...