Hayden Panettiere was reportedly romantically involved with both brothers Zach and Brian Hickerson, the latter of whom was her on-again-off-again boyfriend. Both brothers were present at the scene when the actress was found unresponsive in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday.
Zach Hickerson, 38, a pastor and founder of an independent church, was seen for the first time since Panettiere's death, declining to comment to reporters. Police reports indicate that Zach was "very emotional" as first responders attempted to save Panettiere's life. Brian Hickerson, 37, was reportedly stoic until after Panettiere was pronounced dead from a suspected cardiac arrest.
Brian Hickerson had a years-long, tumultuous relationship with Panettiere, marked by multiple domestic violence incidents. In 2019, while Brian was incarcerated for assaulting Panettiere, she was reportedly linked to Zach. An eyewitness stated they appeared "very comfortable. Like a real couple" while strolling together in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood that September.
Despite a brief relationship with Zach, Panettiere later rekindled her relationship with Brian. The couple was last publicly seen together in March. Panettiere had traveled from Los Angeles to Greenville with Brian the day before her death and was staying at the Judson Mill apartment complex.
Brian Hickerson allegedly showed police a bag of medication Panettiere had been taking. A 911 call recording indicated a suspected overdose, and sources told TMZ that Narcan was found at the property. A coroner's report stated Panettiere was found unresponsive with no signs of trauma, and the full cause of death is pending.
Panettiere's mother, Lesley Vogel, stated that the family had been trying to remove Brian from her daughter's life. In April 2021, Brian Hickerson accepted a plea deal for two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend, related to incidents between May 2019 and July 2020. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail and four years of probation. He had also filed a petition to expunge his criminal record of domestic abuse charges involving Panettiere, which was denied shortly before her death.
Panettiere's ex-fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko, the father of their daughter Kaya, released a statement expressing his grief and respect for the actress. He stated he would ensure their daughter remembers her mother with respect. Panettiere had previously spoken about her struggles with addiction and her difficult decision to give Klitschko custody of their daughter.