Brian Hickerson was present when Hayden Panettiere was found unresponsive

Key Points:

• Hayden Panettiere was found unresponsive at a South Carolina apartment on August 16, with her ex-boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother present; Hickerson and his brother called 911 and cooperated with authorities during the investigation.
• Hickerson had a tumultuous on-again, off-again relationship with Panettiere, marked by multiple domestic violence charges and a 2021 conviction after he pled no contest to two felony charges related to abuse against her.
• Panettiere had publicly spoken out about the abuse, hoping to empower others in similar situations, and thanked her support system for helping her regain her voice and life.
• Just days before Panettiere's death, Hickerson appeared in court attempting to reduce his felony charges, but the court denied his motions both in August 2023 and previously in July 2025.
• The current status of Panettiere and Hickerson’s relationship at the time of her death remains unclear, though they had rekindled their romance after a brief breakup in 2022.