Hayden Panettiere’s Abusive Boyfriend Brian Hickerson Was Emotionless Until Actress Was Pronounced Dead From Suspected Overdose, Police Report Reveals

Hayden Panettiere's abusive on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were present when she died of a suspected overdose, police reports revealed.

The actress died at 36 years old on Sunday, August 16, while temporarily staying in South Carolina after traveling there with her on-again, off-again partner.

Panettiere was reportedly found unresponsive at the Greenville loft before an "acquaintance" called 911. Dispatch audio suggested that the star was being treated for "cardiac arrest" and a suspected "overdose."

According to heavily redacted records reviewed by NBC, Zach was "very emotional" while medical professionals tried to revive the Nashville alum at the Judson Mill Lofts apartment complex.

Brian, however, reportedly did not become emotional until the actress was declared dead. According to police, he guided officials toward a "bag of medication" Hayden was taking shortly before the incident.

The responding officer was wearing a body camera while investigating the apartment, though the footage has not been released to the public.

It is unclear why Hayden was in South Carolina, though Brian is originally from the state and has family in the area.

While Hayden's official cause of death is still pending further investigation, Narcan was found at the scene along with the pills she was allegedly taking beforehand. Narcan is a form of naloxone used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

The actress has been open about her substance abuse issues in the past, recounting her struggles with alcoholism in her 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again: addicts aren't patient,” she wrote in The New York Times bestseller. “When we're shaking, nauseated, anxious, lonely, or depressed, we need instant relief that sends us into that pain-free place called denial."

The Greenville Coroner's report also revealed that there were no signs of "foul play" or "signs of trauma," indicating the death was likely an accident.

Brian has a history of abuse from when he and Hayden dated between 2018 and 2022, as he was accused of domestic violence multiple times during their tumultuous relationship.

He was ordered to stay away from her in 2019 after allegedly leaving marks on her body during a fight in their home.

He was detained in Wyoming in 2020 after allegedly striking Hayden "with a closed fist on the right side of her face." She was granted a restraining order against him the following July.

Brian was sentenced to 45 days in jail for multiple charges of abuse ranging from 2019 to 2021. The couple had appeared to break up for good in 2022 after a physical altercation in front of a Los Angeles, Calif., bar.

The pair seemed to have rekindled some sort of kinship before her death, though he has not spoken publicly about it. He did, however, express regret for his abuse and praise the star after her book came out in May.

"She probably doesn’t think the same way I think that Hayden is one of the most talented people I’ve ever met in my life," he gushed. "And I would be an idiot not to walk away from her and let her bull rush in her career. We probably wouldn’t be good together. I’d like to see what she’s gonna do with the next 30 years of her career."