Hayden Panettiere's mother, Lesley Vogel, has broken her silence following the actress's death at 36, expressing anger towards Panettiere's on-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson.
Vogel told NBC News that Hickerson, a convicted felon, was with her daughter when she died on Sunday. "This person in her life that we have been trying to get rid of for quite some time was with her at her death and that was Brian Hickerson," Vogel stated. She added that young people in the entertainment industry often struggle and "find the wrong path."
Hickerson and his brother, Zach, were present in Panettiere's apartment in Greenville, South Carolina, when she suffered a suspected fatal cardiac arrest, according to a report from the Greenville Police Department. While Zach Hickerson appeared emotional and witnessed paramedics performing CPR, Brian Hickerson reportedly showed no emotion until Panettiere was declared dead.
Police arrived at the scene to find emergency services performing CPR for an extended period. Brian Hickerson allegedly showed officers a bag of medication that Panettiere had been taking. The Greenville County Coroner’s Office has stated that the cause of death is under investigation, though audio from the 911 call indicated a cardiac arrest and sources told TMZ that Narcan was found at the property, suggesting a possible overdose.
The preliminary investigation by the Greenville Police Department has not indicated signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances, and an autopsy found no signs of trauma contributing to her death.
Panettiere and Hickerson began dating in 2018, and their relationship was marked by domestic violence charges against Hickerson. In her memoir, published shortly before her death, Panettiere detailed alleged abuse, including an incident where she claimed Hickerson beat her severely, forcing her to stay home for weeks to conceal her injuries. She stated she feared going to the police due to potential public scrutiny. Hickerson was arrested in May 2019 on charges of injuring a spouse or girlfriend, pleaded no contest in April 2021, and was sentenced to 45 days in jail and four years of probation. Notably, just three days before Panettiere's death, a judge denied Hickerson's request to reduce his past felony charges.
Panettiere had previously sought a restraining order against Hickerson in July 2020, though the outcome of this request is not clear from court records.
Panettiere, known for her roles in "Heroes" and "Nashville," is survived by her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, from her previous relationship with Wladimir Klitschko, a former boxer and current Ukrainian government official, who has full custody of their child.