Friends and associates of the late actress Hayden Panettiere expressed significant concern and fear regarding her on-again, off-again relationship with Brian Hickerson, with some now experiencing regret over their inability to persuade her to end the dynamic. Panettiere died at age 36.
A heavily redacted police report from Greenville, South Carolina, revealed that Hickerson and his brother Zach were present when officers responded to a 911 call and found Panettiere unresponsive. The investigation into her death is ongoing, and there is no indication that Hickerson contributed to it.
According to the report, Zach Hickerson was emotional as paramedics attempted to revive Panettiere, while Brian Hickerson reportedly did not show visible distress until she was declared dead. He then allegedly presented police with a bag of medication found in the apartment.
Panettiere's friends and professional contacts described the relationship with Hickerson, 37, as sporadically abusive and toxic over nearly a decade. One Hollywood agent stated, "He was bad news from the beginning." Concerns were reportedly widespread, with many hoping Panettiere would recognize the situation, but she never left him.
This dynamic has led to feelings of regret among those who knew her, with one producer noting, "We will replay conversations. We will remember phone calls and moments when we spoke up or stayed quiet. Could another intervention, another conversation have changed the ending? We will never know."
In 2021, Hickerson pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a girlfriend. He received a sentence that included 45 days in county jail, mandatory domestic violence classes, and a five-year restraining order. Panettiere herself wrote in her 2026 memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," about alleged abuse by Hickerson, detailing incidents that escalated from slaps to more severe violence.
Panettiere's mother, Lesley Vogel, stated that Hickerson was with her daughter at the time of her death and that the family had been trying to distance him from Panettiere for some time. Sources indicated that Panettiere and Hickerson had been dating consistently for years, and her team had advised her to keep their relationship private, particularly during the promotion of her memoir, as they believed Hickerson was "bad for business."
Sources familiar with Panettiere suggested she was drawn to "bad boys" and may have equated intensity with intimacy, confusing it with true connection. A TV executive observed that Panettiere needed stability, which Hickerson could not provide, yet he consistently re-entered her life, and she returned to him.
Navigating this situation proved difficult for her friends. Some attempted to maintain contact with Panettiere rather than completely cutting ties with Hickerson, fearing that aggressive confrontation could alienate her further. The overarching sentiment among her inner circle appears to be a profound sadness over not being able to resolve the situation for her, leaving them to question if they could have done more.