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Hayden Panettiere Identified as Brian Hickerson's Girlfriend in Death Report
Countless questions have yet to be answered regarding what happened to Hayden Panettiere, who died Aug. 16, but details about her final moments are starting to emerge.
The Nashville actress had flown from Los Angeles to South Carolina the day before, accompanied by on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson—and they were on again, according to his brother Zach Hickerson.
Zach was with Brian and Panettiere at the Greenville, S.C., apartment where she was pronounced dead, according to a police incident report obtained by E! News, which noted that Zach advised the responding officer that Panettiere was Brian's girlfriend.
When the officer arrived, the report detailed, Emergency Medical Services personnel and firefighters were performing CPR on an unresponsive Panettiere.
The emergency team "attempted to perform life-saving methods for an extensive amount of time," the report continued, during which Zach was "very emotional." Brian "did not become emotional" until EMS declared Panettiere officially deceased, the report also noted.
Panettiere was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m., according to the Greenville County Coroner's Office, which said Aug. 17 that, while cause and manner of death are pending while they await test results, an autopsy found no signs of trauma that would have contributed to the 36-year-old's death.
Police have also since said that their preliminary investigation showed no signs of trauma or foul play.
E! News reached out to Brian's attorneys and Zach for comment and has not yet heard back.
Meanwhile, though they hadn’t been spotted together anytime recently, Panettiere and Zach had known one another for years.
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The Heroes alum was photographed in New York holding hands with the health care executive in September 2019, during a period in which she and Brian were broken up—and Brian was by judge's order required to stay at least 100 yards away from Panettiere after being arrested on suspicion of domestic violence four months earlier.
At the time, a source told E! News that Panettiere was not dating her ex's brother, but had been "relying on [Zach] for additional support."
The 2019 case against Brian was dismissed, though he was arrested again months later for alleged domestic battery and ended up being sentenced to 45 days in jail after pleading no contest in April 2021 to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend.
But he and Panettiere reunited as friends not long after he was released from custody, with Brian telling E! News at the time, "We have a long history together, and the first step in my recovery as an abuser is making amends. That's exactly what Hayden has been gracious enough to allow me to do."
After Brian accompanied to Panettiere to her brother Jansen Panettiere's funeral in March 2023, she acknowledged to the New York Times that he was back in the picture, explaining that their relationship was "contingent on him continuing on this road of recovery."
And both Brian and Zach were with her when she died. Here is what to know about the other Hickerson brother she spent time with:
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Who is Zach Hickerson?
Like Brian, Zach is originally from South Carolina. His Instagram bio notes he's a vice president in healthcare staffing, as well as founder of Acts 321, which is described on its website as an "independent non-denominational church" located in Nashville.
Zach's bio on the church's site says he graduated from Furman University in Greenville, and then "after five years in corporate America" opted to pursue his ministry full-time.
Also an avid golfer, Zach's most recent Instagram post from Aug. 9 featured a video of him hitting balls at an Atlanta driving range with the caption, "Back in the ATL Figuring it out one swing at a time."
How does Hayden Panettiere know Zach Hickerson?
Panettiere met Zach through his brother Brian, whom she started dating in 2018 and was off and on with for the rest of her life.
"Hayden got to know Brian's family immediately after they began their relationship," a source told E! in 2019, "spending time with them in South Carolina."
Zach Hickerson/Instagram
Was Zach Hickerson with Hayden Panettiere when she died?
Both Zach and Brian were at the Greenville apartment where Panettiere was staying when she was pronounced dead on the afternoon of Aug. 16.
In audio from a 911 call obtained by TMZ and People, the dispatcher can be heard directing medics to the Greenville address, and then an EMS worker mentioning "overdose," as well as "CPR in progress."
Zach advised a police officer at the scene that Panettiere was "his brother's girlfriend," according to a Greenville City PD incident report obtained by E! News, and was "very emotional" while first responders were attempting life-saving measures on the actress.
The officer escorted Zach and Brian out of the apartment after EMS declared Panettiere dead, the report said.
Read on for everything to know so far about Panettiere's death:
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When Did Hayden Panettiere Die?
Hayden Panettiere died in Greenville, South Carolina, on Aug. 16. She was 36.
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How Did Hayden Panettiere Die?
After receiving a 911 call at around 1:51 p.m. on Aug. 16, first responders and emergency medical services arrived at a residence in Greenville and found a woman—later identified as Panettiere—in cardiac arrest, according to a release shared by the Greenville County Coroner’s Office the following day. While "advanced cardiac life support measures" were provided, the release continued, the "resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful" as Panettiere was unresponsive. The actress was pronounced dead at the scene a little after 2:30 p.m. In audio of the emergency dispatch call obtained by CNN and TMZ, EMS responders can be heard discussing an apparent overdose.
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What Has Hayden Panettiere's Autopsy Revealed So Far?
In its Aug. 17 release, the coroner's office confirmed an autopsy was completed and that "no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death" of the Heroes star.
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Who Was With Hayden Panettiere When She Died?
The Greenville City Police Department noted in its Aug. 17 release that "an acquaintance of Ms. Panettiere placed the 911 call," with a redacted police report obtained by E! listing both Brian Hickerson—her on-again, off-again boyfriend since 2018— and his brother Zach Hickerson as the ones to call 911.
Zach later told officers investigating Panettiere's death that she was Brian's girlfriend, according to Greenville City PD's report.
Police noted in an Aug. 16 release that "the preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances" around her death.
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How Did Brian Hickerson and Zach Hickerson React to Hayden Panettiere's Death?
In the police report, an officer noted Zach was "very emotional while EMS were working on" Panettiere, though
"Brian did not become emotional until EMS declared her officially deceased."
E! News has reached out to Zach and to Brian's attorneys for comment but has yet to hear back.
While police told People officers "responded to a call for a welfare check at a home belonging to Brian Hickerson’s family" on Aug. 19, they noted "the call is unrelated to the Hayden Panettiere death investigation and did not require an incident report."
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What Has Hayden Panettiere's Family Said About Her Death?
After Panettiere died, her father Skip Panettiere told ABC News she was "an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her—and to the millions who watched her onscreen."
Two days later, her mother Lesley Vogel broke her silence.
"This person in her life that we have been trying to get rid of for quite some time was with her at her death," she told NBC News Aug. 18, "and that was Brian Hickerson."
While Panettiere—whose brother Jansen died in 2023 at ae 28—and her mom had publicly spoken about their estrangement, Vogel remembered her daughter as "an amazingly talented person in so many departments."
"I think young people who grow up in the entertainment industry—it is a struggle and it’s a very challenging industry," she added, "and it’s not unusual for them to sadly find the wrong path."
Additionally, her ex Wladimir Klitschko addressed his "profound shock and grief" he and their daughter Kaya were facing in the wake of Panettiere's death. The Ukranian boxer further vowed to keep the Nashville alum's legacy alive in Kaya's memory.
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