The days before Panettiere’s death are coming into sharper focus, with new claims painting a troubling picture of the concerns surrounding her behind closed doors.
Hayden Panettiere’s death at just 36 has left questions that investigators are still working to answer, but attention is now turning to what was happening around the actress in the weeks and months before she died.
As her on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson finally breaks his silence, several unsettling details have resurfaced, including a since-deleted remark he allegedly made online and claims that Panettiere’s own team had once discussed an intervention.
Hickerson later faced multiple domestic violence charges connected to Panettiere and was sentenced in 2021 to jail, probation and domestic violence classes. Panettiere had previously spoken publicly about hoping her experience could help others in abusive relationships seek support. | Source: Getty Images
Brian Hickerson Breaks His Silence
Days after Panettiere’s death, Hickerson has now addressed the tragedy for the first time, although his response came through his attorney and offered little detail about what happened.
According to TMZ, Hickerson’s attorney, Sloan Ellis of the Ellis Hinton law firm, said, “Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed.”
The statement continued, “As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play.” Ellis concluded, “Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.”
Hayden Panettiere and Brian Hickerson began dating in 2018, but their relationship would later become marked by repeated breakups, legal troubles and reconciliations. Years later, Hickerson was reportedly present at the South Carolina residence where Panettiere died. | Source: Getty Images
Ellis is a former federal prosecutor who has previously worked with the DEA and FBI, something TMZ noted amid reports that the DEA has joined the multi-agency investigation into Panettiere’s death. Hickerson and his older brother, Zach, were reportedly both at the South Carolina apartment when the actress was found unresponsive.
According to the outlet, Hickerson had been sleeping in another room, while Zach came inside and found Panettiere unresponsive in an armchair. First responders attempted to save her, but she was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene. Hickerson reportedly became visibly emotional as the efforts to revive her came to an end.
Police have also said Hickerson showed officers a bag containing medications Panettiere had been taking before she died. As Ellis reiterated, authorities have said there are no signs of foul play, while the investigation into exactly what happened remains ongoing.
But as Hickerson’s brief statement emerged, another detail from just weeks earlier began attracting new attention.
A Since-Deleted Comment Resurfaces
A comment allegedly written by Hickerson in June has resurfaced following Panettiere’s death, and its wording is particularly striking considering their complicated history. Page Six reported that a user recently commented underneath an old Instagram selfie of Hickerson shared seven years ago, asking, “Some woman dates [sic] you???”
Hickerson allegedly replied, “Yes, it’s wonderful if she gets out of line I just Google myself and say hey stop it this is what I’m allegedly capable of [sic].”
The comment, which has since been deleted, appeared to reference Hickerson’s highly publicized legal history involving Panettiere.
His Instagram account has also reportedly been deactivated since news of her death broke. Additionally, it remains unclear whether Hickerson and Panettiere were romantically involved at the exact time the comment was posted.
However, they were photographed together in March 2026, and an August 16 police report referred to Panettiere as Hickerson’s “girlfriend.” Their relationship dated back to 2018 and was marked by several legal incidents.
Hickerson was arrested for domestic violence involving Panettiere in Los Angeles in May 2019. He was arrested again and ultimately faced eight counts relating to abusive incidents between May 2019 and January 2020.
Then, in April 2021, Hickerson pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse, cohabitant, girlfriend, or child’s parent. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail, four years of probation, 52 domestic violence classes, and $500 in restitution. Panettiere was also granted a five-year protective order.
Hickerson had additionally been arrested in Wyoming on Valentine’s Day in February 2020 for domestic battery and interference with a police officer.
Panettiere and Hickerson’s relationship remained deeply complicated even after his 2021 sentencing stemming from domestic violence charges involving her. Despite their history, the two continued to reconnect in the years that followed. | Source: Getty Images
Court papers alleged he punched Panettiere “with a closed fist on the right side of her face.” Hickerson pleaded not guilty to those charges. Still, Panettiere later received another restraining order against him in July 2020.
Panettiere Had Spoken About Why She Forgave Him
Years later, however, the actress publicly discussed the complicated emotional cycle that kept pulling her back toward Hickerson.
Panettiere opened up about her experiences with domestic abuse in her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” released in May. She also discussed Hickerson during an appearance on the “On Purpose with Jay Shetty” podcast.
“Once [Brian] was sober, that good part of him would be back, and he would see the damage he had done, and he was devastated and apologetic,” Panettiere said. She described their relationship as a “dizzying” cycle.
“And it seemed so honest and genuine that I was torn,” she continued. “I thought back to everything I’ve done wrong in the past and the forgiveness I was shown.” Those comments have taken on an especially poignant context in light of what sources have since claimed about Hickerson’s presence in her life during her final months.
Panettiere Reportedly Hired Security to Keep Brian Away
According to Us Weekly, Panettiere had reportedly established firm boundaries with Hickerson before her death, including hiring private security. A source told the publication that Panettiere sometimes helped Hickerson because he allegedly made her feel guilty by saying he was trying to rebuild his life but could not because she had “put him in jail.”
“But he would always take advantage of her and wouldn’t leave, so she hired private security to not only remove him, but to keep him away from her,” the source claimed.
Another source alleged Hickerson reentered Panettiere’s life earlier in 2026 after saying he needed somewhere to stay. “Brian said he needed to crash on Hayden’s couch. He told her that he had no money and nowhere to go because of the past criminal charges against him and he blamed that on her,” the source claimed.
According to the insider, Panettiere initially agreed to let him stay temporarily. But the source claimed Hickerson subsequently “wouldn’t leave,” leading Panettiere’s private security to become involved in removing him.
An even more unsettling allegation followed: The insider claimed that while Hickerson was living with Panettiere in Los Angeles, she discovered that “he had apparently set up cameras in her place.” The outlet also reported that the homeowners association at Panettiere’s condo building warned residents about Hickerson.
“It was at the same time that Hayden had her security remove Brian from her home and the security guard lived with her as well to make sure he stayed away,” the source stated. Panettiere’s former neighbor Mia Terrazzas also spoke about Hickerson’s presence around the actress’s residence.
In an Inside Edition interview, Terrazzas claimed she had been frightened of him. “He never stopped living at her place,” Terrazzas alleged. She further claimed, “There were times he ripped apart her bathroom, where he just took a sledgehammer at 5 in the morning.”
Reports published after Panettiere’s death suggested Hickerson had remained a significant presence in her life, even when some friends believed they were apart. One source claimed the pair’s relationship was kept quieter in public because of concerns about how their history could affect her career. | Source: Getty Images
Terrazzas said she called 911 “at least half a dozen times” over disturbances at Panettiere’s home. According to Us Weekly, Hickerson was out of Panettiere’s life for several months earlier this year before circumstances changed over the summer.
There is also another person who says concerns about Panettiere had already become serious enough for people around her to consider taking action.
Panettiere’s Team Had Discussed an Intervention
Director Griff Furst, who worked with Panettiere before her death, recently revealed that conversations about helping the actress allegedly went much further than ordinary concern.
In an Instagram video, Furst said he had declined interview requests from media outlets because he wanted to explain his experience without having his words edited or taken out of context.
Panettiere spoke candidly about postpartum depression following Kaya’s birth and the addiction struggles that later followed. She said there were periods when she felt “completely incapable” of being the parent she desperately wanted to be. | Source: Getty Images
Furst said Panettiere had openly discussed her addiction struggles and noted that she began acting when she was just 11 months old. He explained that while working on a production, filmmakers can alter schedules, collect internal reports, and assign somebody to keep an eye on a performer if concerns arise.
Then he revealed what allegedly happened after filming ended. “When we wrapped, however, I stayed in touch with her team and what eventually got determined was that she might need an intervention and I was asked to participate, and I said yes,” Furst said.
However, according to him, “That intervention did not happen, at least not that I’m aware of.” Furst stressed that he had not been leading the effort and said it would not have been appropriate for him to do so.
He then addressed questions he said journalists had been asking him about “the man that Hayden brought with her,” whom he identified as Hickerson. Furst pointed to Hickerson’s publicly documented 2021 felony convictions and Panettiere’s previous restraining order.
He also stressed an important distinction: authorities have reported no indication of foul play, and Hickerson has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Panettiere’s death. “I wasn’t in South Carolina, I don’t know what happened,” Furst said.
The actress said signing over custody of Kaya was the “most heartbreaking thing” she had ever done. She later stressed that allowing her daughter to remain with Klitschko ultimately meant putting Kaya’s stability ahead of what she herself wanted as a mother. | Source: Getty Images
He nevertheless offered his opinion based specifically on what he said he personally witnessed while working with Panettiere. Furst described seeing “somebody fighting to stay sober who deserved better company around them than what I observed.”
He added, “Hollywood has an extremely sad history of stars not getting the help that they deserve and our business has no fix for that.” Furst also said, “So our observations, they just get written down and thrown into a production report and then a year later you’re just reading the news.”
Furst ended by saying, “So I was very lucky to work with Hayden; I wish she was still here.” He also stressed that he had listed resources for people who may need help in similar situations in his caption.
A Legal Setback Came Just Three Days Before Panettiere Died
The renewed attention surrounding Hickerson also comes after one of his attempts to change his criminal record was rejected remarkably close to Panettiere’s death. According to TMZ, a judge denied Hickerson’s request to reduce his prior felony domestic violence convictions to misdemeanors and to have the convictions expunged.
The ruling came on Thursday, August 13 — three days before Panettiere died. Prosecutors opposed his requests, and Judge Olivia Rosales denied the motions. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office confirmed the ruling after Page Six first reported the development.
Hickerson’s convictions stemmed from his April 2021 no-contest pleas to two felony counts following incidents involving Panettiere between May 2019 and January 2020. Although he was sentenced to 45 days in jail, TMZ reported that he served 33 days. His sentence also included probation, domestic violence classes, and a five-year restraining order.
Months before Panettiere’s death, Hickerson had publicly suggested that he still imagined a future with her. In a May interview, he said he continued to think about marrying Panettiere and had not given up hope that they could eventually reunite.
Panettiere reportedly laughed off the idea of marrying him when she was approached at LAX that same month. Yet reports indicate the pair later reconnected before her death.
Old Alleged Texts Reveal Another Troubling Chapter
As scrutiny of their history has intensified, alleged messages Hickerson sent Panettiere following his 2020 arrest have also resurfaced. According to TMZ, court documents from Hickerson’s criminal case contained alleged threatening communications sent after his Wyoming domestic battery arrest.
A probable cause affidavit reportedly stated that Panettiere’s lawyer contacted Wyoming authorities because Hickerson had allegedly communicated with the actress despite a court order prohibiting contact.
Her lawyer reportedly provided authorities with emails containing screenshots of text messages, missed calls, and short video clips. One alleged text from Hickerson read, “Time to go to war I guess.” Another allegedly stated, “After Wyoming and LA disappears [sic] so do the videos.”
One of the longer alleged messages read, “Even if i sit in a jail cell for ten years. All of the stuff that is vaulted overseas with my people will come out the second I step foot into prison. And all that does is hurt your name while simultaneously clearing my name. And at that point who actually cares [sic]?”
Other alleged messages reportedly included, “Say something Hayd, so I don’t get defensive and start firing off emails to people to get ready.” Another stated, “I thought his legal stuff would magically disappear… we gotta figure something out, buddy.”
Panettiere and Hickerson remained connected despite years of legal turmoil surrounding their relationship. By 2026, reports suggested they had again grown close, though sources differed over whether their bond was romantic. | Source: Getty Images
Investigators believed the messages showed an effort to intimidate Panettiere into dropping the case. One alleged text said, “It is very simple, it is a very simple fix, between me and you, you gotta make one phone call [sic].”
Another reportedly read, “I don’t want to go to court, for you. I will be [expletive] fine in court, trust me, it’s for you.” Hickerson was initially facing roughly a year behind bars in connection with the Wyoming incident, but the judge suspended the jail sentence and ordered him to serve a year of probation.
Questions Remain About Panettiere’s Final Hours
Panettiere was found unresponsive at a South Carolina Airbnb on Sunday, August 16. Authorities responded to a report involving an unresponsive woman in cardiac arrest following a suspected overdose, according to reporting surrounding the investigation.
Life-saving measures were attempted but were unsuccessful, and Panettiere was pronounced dead at approximately 2:30 p.m. An autopsy found no signs of trauma that would have contributed to her death, and toxicology results are still being awaited to determine the official cause and manner of death.
Hickerson was photographed in South Carolina three days later alongside his brother Zach, who reportedly discovered Panettiere while Hickerson was elsewhere inside the Airbnb. Police have said their initial investigation found no indication of foul play, and no one has accused Hickerson of causing Panettiere’s death.
For now, his attorney says he will not be discussing the case further while investigators continue their work.
But between Panettiere’s reported decision to hire security, the intervention her team allegedly considered, Hickerson’s legal setback days before her death, and that since-deleted comment about what he was “allegedly capable of,” the circumstances surrounding the final months of her life are receiving renewed scrutiny.
Hayden Panettiere is survived by her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko.
