Hayden Panettiere's Ex Received a Visit From Police After Her Death

Key Points:

• Hayden Panettiere died at a South Carolina townhouse where police confirmed her on-off boyfriend and abuser, Brian Hickerson, and his brother were present during the medical emergency; the cause of death remains under investigation with no obvious trauma found.
• Police conducted welfare checks at the Greenville home of the Hickerson brothers' grandmother following Panettiere's death but did not make contact initially; Zach Hickerson was reportedly home but kept blinds closed.
• Brian Hickerson, who was emotionally distraught during the incident, showed officers a bag of medication he said Panettiere had been taking before she died; Panettiere’s mother confirmed Hickerson was with her at the time of her death.
• Panettiere’s relationship with Hickerson was marked by documented domestic abuse, detailed in her memoir "This Is Me: A Reckoning," where she revealed he physically assaulted her and was convicted on felony charges related to the abuse.
• Despite attempts to distance herself from Hickerson, including hiring security, he remained involved in her life and publicly acknowledged the abuse; Panettiere warned about the hidden realities of abuse beyond appearances in her book.