Zach Hickerson, brother of actor Brian Hickerson, was seen for the first time since he found his brother’s girlfriend, Hayden Panettiere, unresponsive in a South Carolina Airbnb on Sunday. Zach Hickerson was photographed arriving at his home in Greenville, South Carolina, on Tuesday.
According to sources with direct knowledge, Panettiere and Brian Hickerson were in the rental apartment Sunday afternoon when Zach entered and discovered the actress sitting in a living room chair. Brian Hickerson was reportedly asleep in another room at the time. First responders were called to the scene and attempted to revive Panettiere, but she was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m. She was 36 years old.
A redacted police report from the Greenville Police Department indicated that Brian Hickerson did not become emotional until he was informed of Panettiere’s death. Zach Hickerson referred to Panettiere as his brother’s girlfriend. The report states that Brian Hickerson showed police a bag of unspecified medications that Panettiere was allegedly taking.
Brian Hickerson and Panettiere had dated on and off since 2018. Hickerson had faced multiple domestic violence arrests related to Panettiere and was experiencing financial difficulties following those incidents. Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel, released a statement expressing her family’s efforts to distance Panettiere from Brian Hickerson.
Panettiere's mother stated that her family had been attempting to end her daughter's relationship with Brian Hickerson for some time. Reports indicated that Brian Hickerson had re-entered Panettiere's life approximately two weeks prior to her death, a reconnection that friends of the actress were not made aware of.
Anyone affected by domestic violence can find resources by calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or by texting START to 88788.