Hayden Panettiere died Sunday at a South Carolina apartment complex after emergency responders were called for a reported cardiac arrest. A police incident report reveals her on-again, off-again partner, Brian Hickerson, and his brother were present at the scene when resuscitation efforts took place.
Police Report Places Ex-Boyfriend at the Scene
The circumstances surrounding the sudden death of actor Hayden Panettiere came into sharper focus as local authorities released initial incident documentation. The 36-year-old actor went into cardiac arrest on Sunday at Judson Mill Lofts, an apartment complex located in Greenville, South Carolina, where she had been temporarily staying, according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office.
According to a police incident report Nbcnews, Panettiere’s on-again, off-again partner, Brian Hickerson, and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were inside the residence during the emergency response. The responding officer, Matthew Bryan, noted in the heavily redacted document that Zach Hickerson appeared very emotional
while emergency medical services personnel performed life-support measures.
The report states that Brian Hickerson did not display visible emotion until emergency workers pronounced the actor dead at 2:32 p.m. Authorities received the initial 911 call at approximately 1:50 p.m. from an acquaintance who reported a cardiac arrest. The first responders initiated cardiac life support measures, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, according to the coroner’s office.
Medication Handed Over as Cause of Death Remains Pending
During the police response, Brian Hickerson showed officers a bag of medication that Panettiere was taking at the time of her death. Officer Bryan documented his actions using a body-worn camera throughout the emergency call, though that footage has not been publicly released by the Greenville Police Department. Brian and Zach Hickerson did not immediately respond to NBC News’ requests for comment on Monday and Tuesday.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(799x0:801x2)/Hayden-Panettiere-obit-2-081726-82a69a71427344c980d0c572335b3655.jpg "Hayden Panettiere's Ex-Boyfriend Present During Actor's Sudden Death")
An autopsy was completed on Monday, according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office. Officials stated that no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death,
leaving an official determination on the cause of death pending further investigation.
A Troubled Past Shared in a Recent Memoir
The presence of Brian Hickerson at the scene recalls a turbulent chapter in the actor’s personal life that she brought to public attention just months before her death. Panettiere detailed allegations of domestic violence involving Hickerson in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning,
which was published three months prior.
In the book, Panettiere wrote that one night, Hickerson beat her so badly that she did not leave the house for weeks. She wrote that she hesitated to report the alleged abuse to police because she did not want the public to find out. Court records from Los Angeles County show Hickerson, an aspiring actor from South Carolina, was arrested on May 2, 2019, based on an allegation of injuring a spouse or girlfriend. He pleaded no contest on April 20, 2021, and was sentenced the next year to four years’ probation. Panettiere requested a restraining order against Hickerson on July 14, 2020. The court docket reviewed by NBC News does not identify the victim in the case of injuring a spouse or girlfriend, and the outcome of the request for a restraining order is unclear from the case record. Hickerson’s criminal defense attorney in the case did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday afternoon.
Following those legal proceedings, Panettiere spoke openly in 2020 about why she chose to publicize her experiences, hoping to inspire others in abusive relationships to seek help.
“I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again,”
Hayden Panettiere, via NBC News
Television Legacy and Next Steps in the Investigation
Panettiere was best known for playing a high school cheerleader endowed with special powers on the NBC series “Heroes” and starring as a country music star on the ABC drama “Nashville.”
Meanwhile, the Greenville County Coroner’s Office continues its review, stating that Panettiere’s cause of death is pending further investigation.
