Actress Hayden Panettiere's team had discussed staging an intervention for her before her death, according to Griff Furst, the director of one of her final films. Furst stated that he witnessed Panettiere struggling with sobriety on the set of the 2025 movie “A Breed Apart” and expressed concerns about her and her boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, who was reportedly with her at the time of her death.
Furst, who shared his observations in a series of Instagram videos, said he maintained contact with Panettiere's team after filming wrapped. "What eventually got determined was that she might need an intervention, and I was asked to participate. I said yes," Furst said, adding that to his knowledge, the intervention never occurred.
He described seeing "somebody fighting to stay sober and who deserved better company around them than what I observed" on set. Furst noted Panettiere's long career, beginning in childhood, and Hollywood's "extremely sad history of stars not getting the help that they deserve."
Panettiere had been open about her struggles with drugs and alcohol, as well as her relationship with Hickerson, who was convicted of felony domestic violence charges in 2021. Furst indicated that Hickerson joined Panettiere on set, leaving a negative impression.
Panettiere was found unresponsive in a Greenville, South Carolina, apartment on Sunday. Initial reports from multiple outlets, including TMZ, Page Six, and People, mentioned a 911 call referencing a possible overdose. She was pronounced dead at the scene from cardiac arrest and could not be revived. Local authorities have stated there were no signs of foul play.
In a statement released Thursday through his attorney, Hickerson requested that the investigation be allowed to proceed without further comment out of respect for Panettiere's loved ones and the ongoing inquiry. The New York Times and ABC News reported Thursday that the Drug Enforcement Administration has joined the investigation into her death.