Brian Hickerson, the on-again, off-again boyfriend of the late actress Hayden Panettiere, has broken his silence through his lawyer following her death. Sloan Ellis, Hickerson's attorney, issued a statement indicating that the investigation into Panettiere's passing is continuing and that authorities have confirmed there were no signs of foul play.
"Hayden's death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed," Ellis stated. "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."
The Greenville Police Department has stated they are not participating in media interviews related to the case, reiterating their standard procedure for death investigations. Their process involves working with the Coroner's Office, reviewing findings, and then determining if a criminal investigation is warranted. They confirmed that no signs of foul play were present during the initial response and investigation.
On Wednesday, it was reported that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has been contacted and is assisting in the investigation. Also on Wednesday, police were observed conducting a welfare check at a South Carolina home linked to Brian and Zach Hickerson, shortly after Panettiere's death.
Panettiere died Sunday at the age of 36. She was found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest at an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina. Despite resuscitation efforts, she was pronounced dead at the scene. Preliminary autopsy results reportedly found no signs of trauma contributing to her death.
A police report indicated that Brian Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were the ones who called 911 after discovering Panettiere unresponsive. Brian Hickerson reportedly provided authorities with a bag of medication the actress had allegedly been taking. Both brothers were present at the apartment when emergency services arrived. The report noted that Zach appeared emotional while paramedics worked on Panettiere, while Brian did not show visible emotion until she was declared deceased.
Panettiere and Hickerson's relationship, which began around 2018, was marked by public legal issues. Hickerson faced domestic violence charges in connection with Panettiere in 2019 and was arrested again in 2020 on multiple felony domestic violence charges. In 2021, he was sentenced after pleading no contest to two felony charges related to domestic violence involving Panettiere. His attempts to have these charges reduced were ongoing, with a court appearance just three days before Panettiere's death where his motion to expunge and reduce the counts was denied.
Hickerson reportedly traveled with Panettiere from Los Angeles the day before she was found unresponsive on August 16. The couple had a brief breakup in 2022 but rekindled their relationship the following year. Zach Hickerson confirmed to police that Brian was in a relationship with the actress at the time of her death.