Hayden Panettiere’s ‘Abusive’ Ex-Boyfriend Brian Hickerson, His Brother Were At Scene When She Died: Police Report

Hayden Panettiere’s former boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother Zach Hickerson were reportedly at the South Carolina apartment complex where the actress died after going into cardiac arrest, according to a heavily redacted police incident report obtained by NBC News. Panettier was found unresponsive on August 16 at the Judson Mill Lofts, and emergency responders were unable to revive her. She was 36. The report also provides new information about the moments leading up to her death, including how those at the scene reacted and medication that was allegedly shown to police. Authorities have yet to determine Panettiere’s official cause of death as the investigation is still ongoing.

According to the report,  and his brother Zach were inside the apartment complex when emergency personnel responded to the cardiac arrest. NBC News noted that the responding officer, Matthew Bryan, reportedly first spoke with Zach Hickerson, who was described as “very emotional” as emergency medical personnel treated Panettiere.

The report said Brian Hickerson did not look visibly emotional until EMS personnel pronounced Panettiere dead. Police stated that Hickerson showed officers a “bag of medication” that Panettiere was taking around the time of her death.

The officer arrived on scene with an active body camera. The report said footage from the body camera was recorded but has not been made public.

The Greenville County Coroner’s Office said authorities received a 911 call about 1:50 p.m. on Sunday from an acquaintance reporting a cardiac arrest at the apartment complex. She was found unresponsive inside the residence, where she had been temporarily staying. First responders immediately attempted cardiac life support, but these efforts were unsuccessful.

Panettiere was declared dead at 2:32 p.m. An autopsy was conducted the following day, where no signs of trauma that would have contributed to her death were found, the Coroner’s office said. However, the cause of death remains under investigation. That means authorities have not yet publicly determined the medical cause of Panettiere’s death.

Brian Hickerson and   had a tumultuous on-off relationship that drew considerable public attention due to allegations of domestic violence. The pair’s relationship seemed to end in 2020 after Hickerson was accused of abuse toward the actress.

Panettiere opened up about her experiences in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, which was released three months before her death. In the book, the actress wrote about an alleged incident where Hickerson beat her so badly that she stayed in her house for weeks. She also wrote about her reluctance to report the alleged abuse because she didn’t want the situation to go public.

Los Angeles County court records show Hickerson was arrested in May 2019 on a charge of injury to spouse or girlfriend. He later pled no contest in April 2021 and was sentenced to four years of probation the next year. Panettiere also filed for a restraining order against Hickerson in July 2020. The record before the court does not reveal whether that request was ultimately granted.

Panettiere opened up about the allegations against Hickerson in 2020, and explained why she chose to speak out about her experience. At the time, she said she wanted her decision to inspire people in abusive relationships to seek help. Later, her choice to speak publicly about the relationship became a major factor in the story of her life and career, particularly as she reflected on those experiences in her memoir.

The allegations against Hickerson are separate from what happened to Panettiere. The police report does not indicate Hickerson’s responsibility for her death, and authorities have not publicly made that connection.