Police are checking in onBrian Hickerson’s family.
Three days afterHayden Panettiereunexpectedly died while in Greenville, S.C., while with Brian and his brotherZach Hickerson, the Greenville Police Department confirmed toPeopleAug. 19 that officers “responded to a call for a welfare check at a home belonging to Brian Hickerson’s family on Wednesday morning.”
The spokesperson also noted, “The call is unrelated to the Hayden Panettiere death investigation and did not require an incident report.”
E! News has reached out to the Greenville Police Department for comment but has not yet heard back.
On the day of Panettiere’s Aug. 16 death, Brian and Zach were with her and were present while emergency medical services “attempted to perform life saving methods for an extended amount of time,” according to an incident report obtained by E! News.
As EMS arrived, they had begun treatment for an apparent overdose and cardiac arrest, according to dispatch audio obtained byPeopleandTMZ.
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Brian Hickerson’s Reaction to Hayden Panettiere’s Death Revealed in Police Report
Though Zach was described as “very emotional” while EMS was attempting to resuscitate “his brother’s girlfriend,” officers noted that Brian “did not become emotional until EMS declared [Panettiere] deceased,” per the report.
After her death, Greenville County CoronerMike Elliscompleted an autopsy and shared in his report, obtained by E! News, that “no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death.”
Ellis also emphasized that “the cause and manner of death remain pending” as an investigation into theHeroesalum’s death “remains active and ongoing.”
Before she died, E! News learned that Panettiere had traveled with Brian from Los Angeles to South Carolina. The pair had shared a tumultuous, on-and-off relationship since 2018, during which Brian was arrested multiple times on charges of domestic violence.
While he pleaded not guilty in 2020 to domestic battery against Panettiere, Brian later pleaded no contest to other charges from July 2020, including two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend, according to a spokesperson for the LA District Attorney’s Office. He was sentenced to 45 days in county jail. (All other charges were dropped or dismissed.)
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Panettiere and Brian reconnected after he served his sentence and remained in touch in the years since.
After theNashvilleactress’ death, her momLesley Vogelemphasized her family’s attemptto separate her daughter from Brian.
“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 toldNBC Newson Aug. 18, “and that was Brian Hickerson.”
“I think Hayden was an amazingly talented person in so many departments,” the 70-year-old continued, “and I think young people who grow up in the entertainment industry—it is a struggle and it’s a very challenging industry and it’s not unusual for them to sadly find the wrong path.”
E! News reached out to Brian’s attorney for comment but hasn’t heard back.
For a look back at how Panettiere’s friends and former costars paid tribute to her, keep reading…
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“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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