Hayden Panettiere was with her on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson when she died at 36, according to a police report. Hickerson's brother, Zach, was also at the apartment when emergency services arrived on Sunday, 16 August. The actress was found in cardiac arrest and was later pronounced dead at the scene.
The revelation has put Panettiere's troubled relationship with Hickerson back in the spotlight, particularly after her mother, Lesley Vogel, spoke out about her concerns after the Heroes star's death. Vogel said her family had spent years trying to get Hickerson out of her daughter's life.
Panettiere's Mum Reveals Family's Concerns Over Hickerson
Vogel did not hold back when speaking to NBC News about Hickerson. The actress's mother, who once managed her career, said she and Panettiere's father had been trying to 'get rid' of him for some time.
'This person in her life that we have been trying to get rid of for quite some time was with her at her death and that was Brian Hickerson,' Vogel said.
She also accused Hickerson of enabling her daughter, saying: 'Brian has enabled Hayden many times.'
Still, Vogel also spoke about her daughter's talent and the pressures of growing up in the entertainment industry. She described Panettiere as 'an amazingly talented person' and acknowledged that young people who enter showbusiness early can face an incredibly difficult path.
Vogel and Panettiere were reportedly estranged before her death. According to her mother, they last spoke directly in October 2025 and had exchanged only brief text messages since.
Hayden Panettiere & Brian Hickerson's Turbulent Relationship
Panettiere and Hickerson first became romantically linked in 2018, but their relationship was complicated. Hickerson was arrested several times over domestic violence allegations involving the actress during their on-and-off relationship.
In 2021, he pleaded no contest to two felony charges of injuring a spouse or girlfriend and was sentenced to 45 days in jail. He was also subject to four years of formal probation and domestic violence classes, and received a five-year protective order.
Panettiere later opened up about the abusive relationship in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.
Despite their painful history, Panettiere and Hickerson eventually reconnected. In 2021, Hickerson said they were 'working on a friendship' as he sought to make amends, while Panettiere later spoke about forgiving him and said their friendship depended on his continued recovery.
Just days before Panettiere's death, Hickerson suffered another legal setback when a judge denied his request to have his past felony convictions reduced or expunged, according to Page Six. The report said it was his second unsuccessful attempt since 2025.
What Happened to Hayden Panettiere?
Panettiere was found unresponsive at an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina, and was pronounced dead after emergency responders attempted to revive her.
Police said Brian Hickerson directed them to a bag of medication she had reportedly been taking. Narcan was also reportedly found at the property, while dispatch audio referenced a possible overdose.
However, her official cause of death has not been confirmed. An autopsy found no trauma contributing to her death, with toxicology results still pending. Police said the preliminary investigation found no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.
