Hayden Panettiere's Boyfriend Brian Hickerson Emphasizes Police Found 'No Signs of Foul Play' in First Statement Amid Investigation Into Her Death

Hayden Panettiere's on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, has finally spoken out after the star's shocking death.

Panettiere died of a suspected overdose at 36 years old on August 16 in a Greenville, S.C., apartment where she and Hickerson were seemingly staying.

The couple first dated from 2018 to 2022, during which the actress accused Hickerson of domestic violence on several occasions. At one point, he was even sentenced to 45 days in jail for multiple abuse charges.

"Hayden's death remains under investigation, and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed," his lawyer, Sloan Ellis, told TMZ on his behalf. "As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play."

"Out of respect for Hayden's loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time," the statement concluded.

Hickerson and Panettiere appeared to rekindle their relationship in March when they were spotted together at Los Angeles International Airport.

Close friends and loved ones have claimed that Panettiere was "hiding" the fact that Hickerson was back in her life, while others claimed he forced his way in.

"All was well up until a week ago when she went kind of silent, and then she passed away,” a source explained. “She had a lot to live for. She had plans to go on a girls’ trip. She was going to see her daughter in Europe. But [in] the last week, things had changed and Brian had inserted himself into her life."

Her estranged mother, Lesley Vogel, told NBC News that those close to Hayden had been trying to "get rid of" 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 and that was Brian Hickerson," she stated candidly.

Police reports confirmed that he was present when officials responded to a 911 call reporting an "unresponsive female," later determined to be Panettiere.

According to dispatch audio, Panettiere was treated for "cardiac arrest" and a "suspected overdose." It was Hickerson's brother, Zach, who called 911.

"I observed Zach to be very emotional while EMS were working on Hayden," police reports said. "Brian did not become emotional until EMS declared her officially deceased."

Brian reportedly guided police to a "bag of medication" that Hayden had been taking before the incident. The actress was very open about her history with alcoholism and substance abuse.

The Nashville star wrote in detail about her addiction and Brian's abuse in her May 2026 memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning.

"What I never told them was that the abuse I’d endured didn’t feel as bad as the thought of being alone," she revealed at the time.

Brian spoke out after the memoir's release, admitting to his abuse against his late girlfriend.

"I think it speaks for itself," he said of his negative portrayal in the book. "I got arrested for, you know, abusing her, and I wouldn't blame her friends for being p----- off at me. You've got to be vulnerable and, you know, I did it. I did it."