Hayden Panettiere's Death: New Details Emerge as Police Investigate Possible Criminal Conduct

Hayden Panettiere, the 36-year-old actress known for her roles in "Heroes" and "Nashville," was found unresponsive at an Airbnb in Greenville, South Carolina, on August 16, 2026, and pronounced dead at 2:32 m. According to multiple reports, including TMZ and Page Six, her on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother Zach were present at the scene. Zach discovered Panettiere in a chair in the living room, while Brian was asleep in another room.

Zach called 911, and Brian administered Narcan, a nasal spray used to reverse opioid overdoses, according to a statement Zach provided to TMZ. The brothers also performed CPR until emergency services arrived, but Panettiere was in cardiac arrest and could not be resuscitated. Page Six reported that Brian did not become emotional until he was told of her death, while Zach was described as "very emotional" as paramedics worked.

A redacted police report obtained by Page Six indicates that Brian showed police a bag of medication Panettiere had in her possession; nine medications were listed in the report, though their names were redacted. Dispatch audio from the 911 call mentioned a possible overdose, and a Narcan bottle was found at the scene. The Greenville County Coroner's Office said Panettiere went into cardiac arrest and the death is being investigated as an apparent drug overdose, according to the NZ Herald. However, the cause and manner of death remain undetermined, with toxicology results pending. The autopsy has been completed, and the coroner has released her remains to her family.

Police have said there were no signs of foul play, and neither Brian nor Zach has been accused of involvement in her death. However, TMZ reported that law enforcement sources say police are conducting a death investigation to determine if criminal conduct was involved, and the investigation was triggered because her death was "unexpected." The DEA is also involved with local authorities, according to TMZ.

On the morning of August 19, two uniformed officers visited the Hickerson family home in Greenville. Police told The Sun and The Irish Sun that the visit was for a welfare check unrelated to the death investigation and did not require an incident report. The reason for the visit remains unclear.

Brian Hickerson and Panettiere had an on-and-off relationship since 2018, which was marked by domestic violence incidents. Hickerson was arrested multiple times and, in April 2021, pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or cohabitant, according to Page Six and TMZ. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail, probation, and domestic violence classes. Panettiere was granted a five-year protective order against him, which expired in April 2024.

Panettiere's memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," recounted Hickerson's abuse, including three arrests and a jail stint. During her May book tour, a bookstore was instructed not to let Hickerson in, according to two people with direct knowledge cited by the NZ Herald. Panettiere's mother, Lesley Vogel, told NBC News that she had tried to keep Hickerson out of her daughter's life, and the two had a falling out in part over that effort, according to the NZ Herald.

Hickerson filed for bankruptcy in 2022, and he pawned some of Panettiere's belongings, according to the NZ Herald. He also claimed to have entered drug rehab in 2022, but records of a 2025 stay were not found, reported Page Six.

In the final year of her life, Panettiere struggled with pain, agoraphobia, and addiction, according to the NZ Herald. Her brother, Jansen, died in 2023 from an enlarged heart and aortic valve complications. She was set to star in and executive produce the horror movie "Sleepwalker," and had plans to return to acting, write a TV series, and visit her daughter in Europe, reported the NZ Herald.

A neighbor, Mia Terrazas, told Page Six that she saw Panettiere being taken from her West Hollywood apartment on a gurney by firefighters on two occasions, in July 2023 and January 2024, and that Panettiere appeared to have bruises and red marks with Brian present both times. Terrazas said she and her daughter tried to raise concerns with the firefighters, and she claimed she often heard muffled arguments and screaming from Panettiere's unit. The HOA posted flyers in August 2025 warning residents about Hickerson trespassing, and Terrazas called the sheriff's department multiple times. Brian's attorney declined to comment on the neighbor's claims, Page Six reported.

Brian Hickerson, through his attorney, said Panettiere's death remains under investigation and that police confirmed no signs of foul play, according to the NZ Herald. Panettiere's representative said they are confident justice will be served, Page Six reported. In June, Hickerson made an Instagram comment about being capable of abuse, which Page Six described as chilling.

Weeks before her death, Panettiere posed naked for a PETA campaign, with the video shot on July 22, according to a PETA representative quoted by Page Six, who said Panettiere was "wonderful" on set.

Zach Hickerson was seen for the first time since finding Panettiere, picking up food from a local restaurant, according to Page Six. He referred to Panettiere as his "brother's girlfriend" at the scene, per the police report.

As the investigation continues, authorities are awaiting toxicology results to determine the exact cause and manner of Panettiere's death.