Friends of Hayden Panettiere reportedly felt that her on-and-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, had isolated the actress from them over the years, according to sources who spoke to Page Six. These friends expressed worry about Panettiere, believing she had become increasingly cut off from those who cared about her and had hoped she would eventually end the relationship.
Representatives for both Panettiere and Hickerson did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Panettiere, who was 36 at the time of her death, reportedly kept some friends unaware of her apparent reconnection with Hickerson, 37. A source told Page Six that if Hickerson was back in her life, it was something she was concealing, possibly due to shame about reconciling with someone she had previously shared difficult times with.
Panettiere and Hickerson were publicly seen together months before her death. They sparked reconciliation rumors after being spotted at LAX airport in March 2026, with Hickerson accompanying Panettiere as she used crutches. A source indicated that Panettiere reconnected with Hickerson approximately two weeks before her passing, with Hickerson reportedly staying with her in Los Angeles for about a week before they traveled east.
"He was supposed to leave, but somehow, they ended up on a flight to South Carolina, where he is from," the source said. The informant noted that their interactions did not appear romantic, referencing Panettiere's own comments to podcaster Jay Shetty three months prior, where she suggested Hickerson often found a way back into her life as a "friend."
Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were present at the South Carolina apartment complex where Panettiere suffered cardiac arrest and died. The Greenville Police Department's redacted report indicates that Zach Hickerson was visibly emotional while emergency medical services attended to Panettiere. Brian Hickerson reportedly did not show emotion until Panettiere was officially declared deceased. Zach referred to Panettiere as his "my brother's girlfriend," and Brian Hickerson presented officers with a "bag of medication" Panettiere was taking, though the names of the medications were redacted in the report.
The couple, first linked in 2018, experienced a tumultuous relationship marked by multiple alleged domestic violence incidents. Hickerson was arrested for felony domestic violence in May 2019 following an alleged altercation. He was subsequently charged and ordered to maintain a distance from Panettiere and have no contact with her; however, the case was dismissed in September 2019. He was arrested again in February 2020 in Wyoming on allegations of striking Panettiere. In April 2021, Hickerson pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend and was sentenced to 45 days in county jail, along with four years of probation and mandatory domestic violence classes. A five-year restraining order was also issued, prohibiting him from approaching Panettiere.
In May 2026, Hickerson publicly shared a story detailing his abusive behavior, recounting an incident where he threatened to throw a phone at Panettiere. Panettiere's family confirmed her death on Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina. A cause of death has not yet been officially determined. According to reports, Panettiere traveled from Los Angeles to South Carolina with Hickerson the day before her death. Hickerson has not publicly commented on her passing. Panettiere is survived by her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, and her parents.