Actress Hayden Panettiere reconnected with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, approximately two weeks before her death, according to a source. Hickerson, 37, was reportedly with Panettiere, who died in a South Carolina Airbnb at age 36, for about a week in Los Angeles before they traveled to South Carolina.
"He was supposed to leave, but somehow, they ended up on a flight to South Carolina, where he is from," the insider stated. The source also noted that their relationship did not appear to be romantic, citing Panettiere's own comments to podcaster Jay Shetty three months prior. "Brian would always find a way to work his way back into Hayden’s life as ‘a friend,'" the source added.
Panettiere's inner circle reportedly expressed concern about her relationship with Hickerson, whom the source described as "bad news" and "a real jerk."
However, not everyone close to Panettiere was aware of Hickerson's return to her life. "If Brian was back in her life then it was something she was hiding because she wasn’t speaking about it with many of her friends," a separate source told Page Six. This second insider suggested that Panettiere might have concealed the reunion due to potential shame about reconnecting with someone after discussing dark times publicly.
Panettiere and Hickerson's relationship, which began in 2018, was marked by multiple allegations of domestic violence, arrests, and criminal pleas. Hickerson was first arrested in May 2019 on felony domestic violence charges, which were later dismissed. Panettiere later described this incident as the start of a pattern of physical abuse.
Los Angeles prosecutors alleged that Hickerson caused injuries to Panettiere during separate incidents in December 2019 and January 2020. He was arrested again on Valentine's Day 2020 in Wyoming for allegedly punching Panettiere, which was followed by allegations of witness intimidation. He pleaded no contest to these charges, and Panettiere described the Wyoming incident as a wake-up call.
In July 2020, prosecutors filed an eight-count case against Hickerson, including charges of corporal injury, assault with a deadly weapon, battery, and dissuading a witness. He eventually pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or cohabitant, with other charges dismissed. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail, four years of probation, and ordered to attend domestic-violence classes and pay restitution, with a five-year protective order issued against him. On August 13, three days before Panettiere's death, a judge denied Hickerson's motions to expunge and reduce the charges.
The couple was last publicly seen together in March, arriving at an airport in Los Angeles. Panettiere, who was using crutches at the time for what she described as pinched nerves, detailed the abusive nature of her relationship with Hickerson in her memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning." She explained that abusers often found their way back into her life after she gained the strength to leave. Panettiere, who had been open about her struggles with anxiety, alcoholism, opioid addiction, and postpartum depression, stated that Hickerson's violence was often linked to his substance use. She described a cycle where his sobriety would bring back a more apologetic and remorseful side, leading to her confusion and a desire to help him improve.
Hickerson reportedly confessed in a subsequent interview that he was abusive, struggled with addiction, and regretted his treatment of Panettiere.
Authorities responded to the Airbnb where Panettiere was temporarily staying on Sunday afternoon after a call about an unresponsive woman in apparent cardiac arrest following a suspected overdose. Narcan, an emergency medication for opioid overdoses, was reportedly found at the scene. First responders initiated life support measures, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, and Panettiere was pronounced dead shortly after 2:30 p.m. Hickerson and his brother were present at the time. According to the autopsy report, no signs of trauma were found that would have contributed to her death, but the investigation is ongoing pending toxicology results.
Panettiere is survived by her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya.