New details regarding Hayden Panettiere and Brian Hickerson’s toxic on-again, off-again relationship are being revealed following the actress’ sudden and tragic death at 36.
Panettiere’s estranged mother, Lesley Vogel, claimed to The New York Times on Sunday, August 23, that Hickerson, 37, had once pawned “some of” the Nashville alum’s belongings, including a vintage guitar, at an undisclosed time prior to her death. Vogel further alleged that Panettiere was ultimately “shocked” to find more of her possessions in Hickerson’s storage unit.
A second individual, speaking to The Times anonymously, corroborated Vogel’s accusations that Hickerson previously sold a handful of Panettiere’s belongings.
Hickerson has not publicly addressed the accusations. Us reached out for comment regarding claims he pawned her property.
Panettiere and Hickerson dated on and off from 2018 to 2020, ultimately breaking up following a domestic violence incident in Wyoming. Hickerson was ultimately sentenced to one year in jail in connection to the incident, which a judge later suspended in exchange for one year of probation.
In May, Panettiere began a book tour to celebrate the release of her This Is Me: A Reckoning memoir. According to two unidentified sources with knowledge of the matter who spoke to The Times, a Barnes & Noble store in New York City was given strict instructions not to allow Hickerson into the venue. Per the outlet’s insiders, Panettiere was accompanied by private security with the alleged intent to keep Hickerson away from her.
“I really thought I had done it and I was capable of doing it by myself,” she said of her relationship with Hickerson on the “On Purpose” podcast weeks earlier, months before her suspected overdose death. “I needed an incredible amount of support and backup in order to make sure that there was no way for him to find his way back in.”
Hayden Panettiere‘s on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson found himself back in the actress’ life before her shocking death. “Brian was with her at the time of her death,” the source exclusively shared with Us. “He had inserted himself into her life and was surveilling her.” According to a Greenville City Police Department incident report obtained by […]
Hickerson, through an attorney, broke his silence on Panettiere’s death on Thursday, August 20.
“Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed,” Hickerson’s attorney Sloan Ellis told Us in a statement. “As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play. Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.”
Panettiere was found dead in South Carolina on August 16, with a local police report claiming that Hickerson was present at the scene with his brother, Zach. Narcan was reportedly used and life-saving measures, including CPR, were made but were ultimately unsuccessful.
“After EMS officially declared Hayden deceased, I escorted Zach [Hickerson] and Brian out of the apartment,” a police report obtained by Us read, referring to Brian’s brother. “I observed Zach to be very emotional while EMS were working on Hayden. Brian did not become emotional until EMS declared her officially deceased.”
Hayden Panettiere‘s body has been released by the coroner’s office less than one week after her death at age 36. The Greenville Coroner’s Office in South Carolina confirms to Us that the actress’ body was transferred to a mortuary chosen by her family on Tuesday, August 18. The name of the mortuary was not disclosed. […]
A cause of death has not yet been revealed at the time of publication. In the wake of Panettiere’s death, Zach — who once dated the Ice Princess actress — claimed he and his brother tried to save the Heroes star’s life.
“When we went in and tried to wake Hayden up for lunch, we realized she was unconscious,” he claimed to TMZ on Friday, August 21. “I immediately called 911, and Brian gave her Narcan. We then jointly performed CPR while 911 was on speaker until Fire and EMS arrived. At that point, we watched as they tried every measure possible to save her life.”
Panettiere’s estranged mother, Lesley Vogel, refuted the brothers’ claims, telling the Daily Mail in a Saturday, August 22, interview that she believes Brian is “culpable” for her daughter’s death.
Us has reached out to Brian multiple times for comment on various claims, including allegations he was banned from Panettiere’s mother’s claims and allegations he was banned from her book tour, but have not heard back.
Hayden is survived by her parents, exes Skip Panettiere and Vogel, and her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with ex Wladimir Klitschko. (The Heroes alum’s younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023 at age 28 from an undiagnosed heart condition.)
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
