The Daily Mail has uncovered that Hayden Panettiere had romantic ties to the Hickerson brothers—Brian and Zach—both of whom were reportedly at the scene following her suspected overdose.
The revelation comes amidst new exclusive photos capturing Zach Hickerson, 38, seen publicly for the first time after the tragic and unexpected passing of the actress on Tuesday.
Zach chose not to provide a comment to the Daily Mail when asked, following the emergence of a police report indicating that he, along with his brother Brian, 37—Panettiere’s intermittent partner—were present when she was discovered unresponsive at an Airbnb in Greenville, South Carolina, last Sunday.
The relationship between Panettiere, 36, and realtor Brian was known to be particularly volatile, characterized by numerous incidents of domestic violence over the years.
However, in an exclusive detail revealed by the Daily Mail, it appears that the Heroes star had also been romantically involved with Zach, a pastor, during a period when Brian was incarcerated for an assault on her back in 2019.
The two were seen strolling in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood in September that year, with a witness saying, ‘They looked very comfortable. Like a real couple.’
Hayden Panettiere briefly dated Zach Hickerson, the brother of her on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson after Brian was locked up for domestic abuse. They were spotted holding hands in New York City in 2019
Zach was seen in Greenville, South Carolina, for the first time since Panettiere’s tragic death. He declined to comment when approached by the Daily Mail
Zach, a pastor and founder of an independent church in Nashville, was dressed entirely in black with dark circles visible under his eyes, suggesting a sleepless night
That might explain why he cut such a haunted figure when the Daily Mail approached him for comment at his home in Greenville, South Carolina.
Zach, a pastor and founder of an independent church in Nashville, was dressed entirely in black with dark circles visible under his eyes, suggesting a sleepless night.
‘No comment, bro, and with no offense to you and what you’re trying to do, this is private property,’ he told our reporter.
‘Please respect our privacy. I’m not going to answer anything that you ask me.
‘I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t mind just leaving us alone. I know you’re just doing your job.’
It was Zach who arrived at the rental property to find Panettiere unresponsive on a living room armchair around 1.30pm, while Brian was asleep in a bedroom, TMZ reported Tuesday.
Both Brian and Zach Hickerson were at the apartment where she died, the Daily Mail learned
Brian (left in his mugshot and right with Panettiere) served time for domestic abuse
Both Zach and Brian called 911 when they failed to wake Hayden up. EMS teams ‘worked on her’ for nearly an hour before she was formally declared dead in front of the brothers, according to the police report.
A heavily redacted police report obtained by the Daily Mail shows first responders arrived at the luxury Judson Mill Lofts complex within minutes of a 911 call made by an ‘acquaintance.’
According to the incident summary, Zach was ‘very emotional’ as first responders tried to save mom-of-one Panettiere’s life.
Brian was stoic and did not become ‘visibly emotional’ until after Panettiere was pronounced dead from a suspected cardiac arrest.
He allegedly showed police a ‘bag of medication’ that the actress had been taking at the time of her death, kept inside the apartment complex where she was temporarily staying.
A dispatcher in audio of the emergency call could be heard saying Panettiere had suffered a suspected overdose, and sources told TMZ that Narcan – a nasal medication used to treat an opioid overdose – was also found on a mattress at the property.
Despite her brief dalliance with Zach in 2019, Panettiere later rekindled her relationship with Brian
She and Zach appeared cheerful and playful as they walked around the city hand-in-hand at the time
A coroner’s report said ‘Panettiere was found unresponsive inside the residence, where she had been temporarily staying’ and had no signs of trauma to her body. A full cause of death remains pending.
The apparent dalliance between Panettiere and Zach took place after Brian was locked up for domestic abuse in 2019. It is unclear when that relationship ended.
Panettiere first began dating the younger Hickerson in 2018, however their on-off relationship became tumultuous as he was arrested several times on domestic violence charges.
But since then, and despite another alleged domestic violence incident in 2020, Brian and Panettiere had been going strong, with the pair laughing at reports that they had split – despite keeping their love low-key.
The duo’s last public sighting was as recently as March, when they were pictured at an LA airport together. At the time, Panettiere was using crutches to walk, insisting she was dealing with pinched nerves in her lower back.
Panettiere is said to have kept their apparent reconciliation under wraps.
The Daily Mail can reveal Panettiere had traveled from Los Angeles to Greenville, South Carolina, with Brian, who is from the area, the day before her death. She was staying at the swanky Judson Mill apartment complex
Panettiere was found unresponsive at the loft apartment on Sunday. Above is an interior shot of one of the luxury units
Panettiere’s mother broke her silence on her daughter’s death Tuesday and admitted the family had long wanted Brian out of the actress’s life.
Lesley Vogel told NBC News: ‘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.’
‘I think Hayden was an amazingly talented person in so many departments 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.’
The Daily Mail has also since learned that Brian had filed a petition with the Los Angeles County Superior Court to expunge his criminal record of domestic abuse charges involving the actress, about a month before her untimely death.
According to a minute order filed on August 13 and reviewed by the Daily Mail, Judge Olivia Rosales denied the request just three days before Panettiere’s tragic passing.
Brian was charged in July 2020 with four domestic assault felonies, one misdemeanor count of battery, two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and one felony count of dissuading a witness from prosecuting a crime.
The charges covered the period from May 2019 to July 2020.
In April 2021, he accepted a plea deal, pleading no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend.
The remaining six counts were dismissed.
He was sentenced to 45 days in jail and four years’ probation, plus $500 in fines and mandatory domestic violence classes. In May 2021, he surrendered to serve his sentence, spending 13 days behind bars.
Under his probation terms, Brian was ordered to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings ‘at the minimum rate of one per week,’ according to court records; he also had to complete a series of anger management sessions.
In her memoir, titled This Is Me: A Reckoning, Panettiere alleged that Brian once beat her so severely that she had to remain in her house for weeks to keep her injuries from the public.
Panettiere died aged 36 on Sunday after suffering a suspected cardiac arrest
Panettiere, who leaves behind 11-year-old daughter Kaya, has previously spoken out about her difficult decision to give her ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko custody of their child
She said she tried to keep the alleged abuse from the police because she feared the public would find out, and described her relationship as a ‘very dark and complicated time in my life.’
In one incident, Brian was arrested in May 2019, and court records show he was charged with one count of injuring a spouse or girlfriend.
Panettiere’s relationship with Brian appeared to end in 2020, and in July of that year she filed for a restraining order against him. The outcome of her request is not stated in court records.
Panettiere also spoke about giving up custody of her daughter while struggling with addiction in one of her final interviews before her death.
While battling substance addiction issues, in 2018 the actress made the decision to sign over custody of her daughter to Klitschko, who was not living in the same country as Panettiere at the time.
She said, ‘It wasn’t a decision I made lightly, nor was it a decision I even wanted to make.’
Brian is yet to comment on Panettiere’s death but Wladimir Klitschko – the actress’s former fiancé and the father of her daughter Kaya – paid an emotional tribute to his ex early on Tuesday morning.
In a statement posted to Instagram, the 50-year-old former boxer wrote: ‘Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief.
‘The announcement of Hayden’s tragic death saddens me deeply. She left this world far too soon. Hayden was, although no longer my partner, an important part of my life and the mother of our daughter, Kaya.
‘She built an incredible career through immense talent, while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry. Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives.’
Klitschko continued: ‘To our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was.
‘I extend my deepest condolences to Hayden’s parents, her friends, and her fans, who are also grieving today. Young and talented people like Hayden should not leave this world so soon.
‘I ask everyone to please respect our family’s feelings and privacy during this incredibly difficult time. For now, this is all I wish to say.
‘Thank you to everyone who is supporting my family and expressing their sincere condolences. Rest easy, Hayden. May you find eternal peace. #WeLoveYouHayden.’
Brian Hickerson did not respond when the Daily Mail repeatedly reached out for comment.
