A new detail aboutHayden PanettiereandBrian Hickerson’s relationship has come to light.
Less than a week after theHeroesactress’ tragic death at age 36, a Greenville Police Department death investigation report obtained by E! News confirmed the status of the on-again-off-again couple.
An officer at the Aug. 15 scene where Panettiere was pronounced dead confirmed Hickerson’s brotherZach Hickersontold authorities at the scene that theIce Princessactress “was his brother’s girlfriend.”
While E! News previously learned that Hickerson and Panettiere had traveled together from Los Angeles to Greenville, South Carolina just one day before her death, the couple’s relationship status was unclear at the time.
In May, Panettiere confirmed in an interview with E! News that she was single. However, her relationship with Hickerson has been on-again-off-again since 2018.
Following theNashvillealum’s passing, her motherLesley Vogelalleged in a statement to NBC News that Hickerson was a “person in her life that we have been trying to get rid of for quite some time.”
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E! News has reached out to Hickerson’s attorney several times for comment regarding Panettiere’s death but has not heard back.
Elsewhere in the death investigation report, an officer reported that Hickerson had shown authorities a “bag of medication,” that Panettiere had allegedly been taking at the time she went into cardiac arrest.
It was also noted that while Hickerson’s brother appeared to be “very emotional” while emergency responders attempted to save Panettiere’s life, the 37-year-old himself “did not become emotional” until she was pronounced dead.
Leading up to her death, Panettiere was up front with the complicated status of her relationship with Hickerson. In 2023, she acknowledged that there were “feelings” rekindled in their romance, but told theNew York Timesthat any return to their prior dating dynamic was “contingent on him continuing on this road of recovery.”
When it came to letting Hickerson—who served 45 days of jail time after pleading no contest to two counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend in 2020—back into her life at all, she maintained, “I did not do any of this lightly.”
Following theRemember the Titansstar’s death, her fatherSkip Panettiereemphasized the family’s “profound sadness” over the loss.
“She was an incredible light,” he said in a statement toPeople, “and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her—and to the millions who watched her onscreen.”
For more stars who shared kind words in Panettiere’s memory, keep reading…
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
“I was lucky enough to play your sister for 3 years. I related to you so much in so many ways. Ways that I never even told you,” Snow shared on her Instagram Story.”Your talent was remarkable & so was your determination to be a bold, bright shining light. And you were. Always supportive, curious, funny and brave.”
She added, “You will always be remembered undoubtedly for your undeniable strength and spirit.”
Duff ended with, “Sending a heart full of love to your family, the many people you impacted and everyone who loved you. rest easy.”
“Rest in peace sweet Hayden,” Cattrall wrote on Instagram. “Gone far too soon.”
“Hayden was always such a sweetheart- so rad – down to earth, kind, and consistently the same every time I saw her,” Manning wrote. “We shared so many funny little moments over the years… I don’t really have words for what has happened and she is suddenly gone. I’m just grateful I got to know her and have memories like this.”
“Perhaps most quietly powerful, she spoke openly about what so many are taught to hide: domestic violence, postpartum depression, addiction, recovery, and abuse,” she wrote. “She did not share these things for ease or attention, but because she understood what her silence could cost others.”
She added, “Her activism was not polished or performative. It was instinctive, human, sometimes messy, often vulnerable, and always sincere. She was willing to be uncomfortable, to be misunderstood, and to speak before the world was ready to listen.”
“I just wanted to acknowledge the tremendous loss, not only for the Kingdom Hearts family, but of course all of the close loved ones and the millions of lives that Hayden reached,” they said in an Instagram video. “Sending so much love to Hayden’s family, I’ll be thinking of Hayden and the legacy that she has left. Sending lots of love to the Kingdom Hearts community too and how we’re sharing in this loss.”
“Hayden Panettiere was a beautiful talent and beautiful soul,” the Scandal alum wrote. “Sending her family my love, thoughts and prayers.”PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images
“I first met Hayden when she was 16, and she was already a veteran actor with such bright spirit, and an older soul,” he wrote on Instagram. “I remember her as a fierce protector of animal rights and a ‘cheerleader’ for kindness, justice, and people being treated fairly – something that I’ve always appreciated.”
He also shared a reminder to online users, emphasizing, “Life can be so short… let’s send some love out to the world, our loved ones, and to those who need it most today.”
“I directed this video for @haydenpanettiere with @imsebastianstan,” he explained on Instagram. “When I saw her at Paris’ a couple months ago, we were cracking up over all the funny stuff we talked about between shots, pranking Klitschko in Miami, and how tiny she was. Such a sweet, tiny little bundle of joy. Your memory will always be a blessing.”
“My thoughts are with your daughter and those who truly love you,” she added. “I know that the ones that got to feel your gifts will forever feel blessed and grateful for you.”
“I’m crushed,” Bethany wrote in an Instagram post. “I knew the wild little blonde. Was she nine? Ten? I was eighteen. She ran through the Screen Gem studio hallways at 222 E44th St. laughing and playing games in between blocking and camera rehearsals. Long, unruly curls trailing behind her. She knew her lines and everyone else’s. Her intelligence was astonishing.”
Noting that the pair would “connect on and off over the years,” Bethany detailed feeling joy when they “were lucky enough to cross paths.”
“I dont understand how this is real,” she continued. “Everything seemed to be turning around. She was coming BACK to life, wasn’t she? It’s too young and there’s still so much more life. And her daughter…. Hayden, you are surround by love. I’m sorry for every moment I didn’t reach out or check in. This can’t be real..”
“Julius [Tennon] and I loved working with you,” Viola wrote in her Aug. 17 Instagram post, “an old, wise soul with such a deep heart. I wish the world had more time with you because I had a burning curiosity about who you were becoming. I saw this beautiful Phoenix rising from the ashes. Your tests became your testimony, and your testimony became your legacy.”
“You will be remembered,” the Fences star added. “Rest well, Hayden. Sending healing prayers to your family, your daughter, and all who loved you. May they always speak your name.”
Osbourne praised Panettiere as being “such a good friend.”
“I will never forget you, Hayden, and I will always believe you deserved better,” the Osbournes alum added. “Rest in peace, sweet princess. You will never be forgotten.”
“You were so special,” he wrote on his Instagram Stories alongside a clip of her podcast episode. “May you always be protected and peaceful.”
“Devastated,” she captioned a photo of the pair on Instagram. “We first met on the LIRR traveling to NYC for auditions when we were both kids. Every time our paths crossed, my heart always filled up. She was special. She was a Sprite of a being and such a talent. Truly a light…..Love you, Hayden.”
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