Hayden Panettiere’s boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother Zach Hickerson were present at the South Carolina apartment where the actress passed away over the weekend, as per a police report unveiled on Tuesday. A Greenville police officer arriving at the scene encountered the brothers and witnessed paramedics administering CPR to an unresponsive woman. The report stated that there were no apparent physical causes for her unresponsiveness. Despite life-saving efforts, Panettiere was pronounced dead at 2:31 p.m. No definitive cause of death has been established, and investigations are ongoing. An autopsy revealed no signs of trauma, and authorities found no indications of foul play. Panettiere, aged 36, had a tumultuous relationship with Brian Hickerson, with allegations of physical abuse against her by the 37-year-old actor.
Hickerson faced charges in 2020 for multiple felony abuses and later pleaded no contest to two counts of harming a spouse or partner. He served a brief jail term and was placed on four years of probation, attending anger management and Alcoholics Anonymous sessions. Subsequently, he sought to have his conviction reduced to misdemeanors, but his plea was rejected by a Los Angeles judge last Thursday.
The police report, heavily redacted, revealed that Zach Hickerson identified the unresponsive woman as his brother’s girlfriend. The officer noted Zach’s emotional state while emergency services were attending to Panettiere, with Brian showing emotions only after her official declaration of death. Following her passing, the officer escorted the brothers out of the apartment. Details of the conversation with Brian were redacted from the report, as was a list of medications Panettiere had been taking.
Panettiere’s ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko expressed his grief over her sudden demise, emphasizing her significance in his life and as the mother of their daughter. The pair welcomed their daughter in 2014, and after their split in 2018, Klitschko was granted full custody due to Panettiere’s struggles with addiction and postpartum depression.
Panettiere, who would have turned 37 soon, openly discussed her personal challenges in her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” released in May. In various interviews, she addressed custody arrangements for her daughter and dispelled misconceptions about her parental role. Tributes for the late actress continue to pour in from colleagues and fans, acknowledging her talent and positive energy she brought to her work.