Hayden Panettiere Honored at Malibu Memorial Service

Hayden Panettiere was honored at a memorial service in Malibu, California, on Saturday, with several friends and former "Nashville" costars in attendance. The celebration of life took place at Malibu Pacific Church.

Among those who paid tribute were Panettiere's former costars Connie Britton, Jonathan Jackson, and Sam Palladio. Other notable guests included Beverly D'Angelo, Ruby Rose, and Evan Ross. Approximately 150 guests gathered for the event.

The ceremony began around 5 p.m. with food served on a mezzanine outside the church. At approximately 5:30 p.m., doves were released. The group then moved inside for the service, where a large photograph of Panettiere was displayed with the inscription, "Honoring the life & legacy Hayden Panettiere 8.12.89 - 8.16.26."

During the service, Britton and Charles Esten delivered speeches, and Esten performed a song from their show "Nashville." Jackson was seen in tears and was comforted by Palladio.

Panettiere's father, Skip, was in attendance, while her mother, Leslie Vogel, was reportedly not present. A source close to Vogel told TMZ that she was unable to attend due to a family emergency.

Panettiere died last month at age 36. Authorities responded to a 911 call describing her as "unresponsive" at an Airbnb in South Carolina, where she was staying with her on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother Zach. Narcan, used to reverse opioid overdoses, was found at the scene. The autopsy report indicated no signs of trauma.

According to a police incident report, Zach Hickerson told authorities that Brian was asleep when he discovered Panettiere unresponsive. Zach stated that Brian administered Narcan and that they performed CPR while on the phone with 911 dispatchers.

Neither Brian nor Zach Hickerson were invited to the memorial, but they reportedly understand the decision. The brothers have faced legal issues in the past, including a bar brawl earlier this month. Panettiere's relationship with Brian Hickerson was marked by multiple domestic abuse charges, and he pleaded no contest to felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend in 2021.

Zach Hickerson previously stated to TMZ that "The truth will come out as the authorities complete and release additional details from the investigation" and that friends and family should be allowed to mourn peacefully.