Brian Hickerson has spoken out following reports that both he and his brother were present when Hayden Panettiere passed away.
WASHINGTON — On the heels of the tragic passing of actress Hayden Panettiere, her sometimes boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, has broken his silence. Through his lawyer, Hickerson released a statement one day after news emerged that the DEA is now involved in looking into the circumstances surrounding her death.
The statement, disseminated by the Ellis Hinton law firm to outlets such as TMZ, emphasized that the investigation into Panettiere’s passing remains active and must be allowed to progress unobstructed.
“Authorities have publicly noted there was no indication of foul play,” Hickerson stated. “To honor Hayden’s family and the ongoing investigation process, no further comments will be provided at this time.”
Hickerson’s comment follows information reported by NBC News that he and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were present at the location of her death, as confirmed by a police report.
Hayden Panettiere was found dead in a South Carolina apartment on Sunday, prompting shock from the Hollywood world at the 36-year-old’s death. Friday would have been her 37th birthday.
According to multiple outlets, including the New York Times and ABC News, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has joined the investigation into her death. Both outlets cited anonymous sources familiar with the situation.
It’s unclear exactly what role the DEA is playing in the investigation, or if their involvement indicates officials believe there was a crime involved in her death.
Panettiere, best known for starring roles in TV’s ‘Heroes” and “Nashville,” died on Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina. Emergency crews reported the actress had been found in cardiac arrest and was unresponsive before she was pronounced dead.
According to police, there were no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances in the actress’ death, adding that they were called to the apartment by an acquaintance of Panettiere, who called 911. It’s unknown if either of the Hickerson brothers was the 911 caller.
Actress detailed addiction and early drug use in memoir
In her autobiography “This is Me: A Reckoning,” released in May, Panettiere detailed her struggles with alcohol addiction and her early introduction to drugs. The actress recalls being fed a pill by one of her reps before an early red carpet event for “Heroes,” when she was 16. The rep called the unknown drug a “happy pill.”
She described that experience as a teen and her later decision to opt to take the drugs before high-profile events as “the gateway drug that ushered me toward the good of pharmaceuticals and the downfall of addiction.”
In 2020, Panettiere would spend eight months in treatment for alcohol addiction, according to her memoir. While Panettiere details her path to recovery from alcohol addiction in her book, she does not detail an extensive history of drug use outside of the pills given to her as a teen.
Ex showed police a ‘bag of medication’ Panettiere had been taking
Brian did not become visibly emotional until EMS declared Panettiere dead, the police report states. According to the report, Brian also showed police “a bag of medication” Panettiere had been taking.
In her memoir, Panettiere noted that she had used alcohol to cope with “Brian’s abuse” among other personal traumas and stressors. Panettiere wrote that she had to fight for her life after Hickerson pinned her to the ground, punching her repeatedly. After another attack, Panettiere said she didn’t leave the house for weeks because of how battered her face had been from Hickerson’s punches.
Panettiere wrote that she struggled with “holding Brian accountable,” saying that it wasn’t until she met another survivor of domestic abuse while in treatment that convinced her to cooperate fully with the police.
While a district attorney had dropped domestic abuse charges against Hickerson after he was first booked in 2019, Hickerson was eventually convicted for his attacks on Panettiere. In 2021, Hickerson was sentenced to 45 days in county jail and four years’ probation after pleading no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend.
“I didn’t want to see Brian suffer for the rest of his life, but I knew, in every inch of my heart, that he needed a long sentence,” Panettiere wrote.