Hayden Panettiere was romantically linked to both Brian Hickerson and his older brother, Zach Hickerson, who were present at the scene when the actress died on Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina.

Zach Hickerson, 38, a pastor and founder of an independent church in Nashville, was seen for the first time since Panettiere's death. He declined to comment when approached by reporters, stating, "No comment, bro, and with no offense to you and what you're trying to do, this is private property. Please respect our privacy. I'm not going to answer anything that you ask me. I would appreciate it if you wouldn't mind just leaving us alone. I know you're just doing your job."

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According to a police report, both Zach and his brother Brian, 37, were at the Airbnb where Panettiere was found unresponsive. It was Zach who arrived at the property and found the actress around 1:30 p.m. Sunday, while Brian was reportedly asleep in a bedroom. Both brothers called 911 after failing to wake Panettiere.

First responders arrived minutes after the 911 call, which a dispatcher indicated was for a suspected overdose. EMS teams worked on Panettiere for nearly an hour before she was pronounced dead. The police report noted Zach was "very emotional" during the resuscitation attempts, while Brian became visibly emotional only after Panettiere was declared deceased.

IMAGE8 Both Brian and Zach Hickerson were at the apartment where she died, the Daily Mail learned

Brian allegedly showed police a bag of medication Panettiere had been taking. Sources also told TMZ that Narcan, an opioid overdose reversal medication, was found at the property. A coroner's report indicated that Panettiere had no signs of trauma to her body, and a full cause of death is pending. Brian Hickerson has not commented on Panettiere's death.

IMAGE3 Panettiere died aged 36 on Sunday after suffering a suspected cardiac arrest

Brian, a realtor, had a tumultuous, years-long on-off relationship with Panettiere, marked by domestic violence incidents. In September 2019, after Brian was incarcerated for domestic abuse charges, Panettiere was seen in New York City with Zach. A witness described them as looking "very comfortable. Like a real couple."

IMAGE5 Hayden Panettiere briefly dated Zach Hickerson, the brother of her on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson after Brian was locked up for domestic abuse. They were spotted holding hands in New York City in 2019

Despite this brief relationship with Zach, Panettiere later rekindled her relationship with Brian. Their last public sighting was in March. Panettiere's mother, Lesley Vogel, stated that the family had "been trying to get rid of" Brian from her daughter's life for some time.

Brian Hickerson had a history of legal troubles related to domestic violence. In July 2020, he faced four felony charges for domestic assault, one misdemeanor count of battery, two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and one felony count of dissuading a witness. He accepted a plea deal in April 2021, pleading no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail and four years of probation.

Panettiere had previously spoken about her difficult relationship with Brian in her memoir, detailing incidents of severe abuse and her fear of reporting them to the police. She also discussed her struggles with addiction, which led to her decision to give custody of her daughter, Kaya, to her ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko.

Wladimir Klitschko paid tribute to Panettiere, calling her death a "profound shock and grief" and stating that she left "this world far too soon." He added that he would ensure their daughter remembers her mother with respect. He requested privacy for the family during this difficult time.