Hayden Panettiere's death has taken a fresh twist after both Hickerson brothers were reportedly at the property where she was found unresponsive.
Zach Hickerson, 38, was seen for the first time since the star's death on Tuesday but refused to comment. A police report revealed he and his brother Brian, 37, Panettiere's on-off boyfriend, were present when she was found at an Airbnb in Greenville, South Carolina.
Romantic Link to Pastor Zach
The Daily Mail can reveal Panettiere was also romantically linked to pastor Zach while Brian was locked up after attacking her in 2019. The pair were spotted in Manhattan's SoHo that September, with a witness saying: "They looked very comfortable. Like a real couple."
When approached at his Greenville home, Zach said: "No comment, bro, and with no offense to you and what you're trying to do, this is private property." "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."
Circumstances of Death
TMZ reported Zach found Panettiere unresponsive on a living room armchair around 1.30pm, while Brian was asleep in a bedroom. Both brothers called 911 after failing to wake her. EMS teams "worked on her" for nearly an hour before she was declared dead.
A police report said Zach was "very emotional" while Brian was initially stoic. Brian allegedly showed police a "bag of medication" Panettiere had been taking. Emergency audio reportedly mentioned a suspected overdose, while TMZ said Narcan was found at the property. A coroner said Panettiere had no signs of trauma and a full cause of death remains pending.
Family's Concerns and Legal History
Panettiere's mother Lesley Vogel said the family had wanted Brian out of her daughter's life. She 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."
Brian filed a petition to expunge his criminal record around a month before Panettiere's death, but Judge Olivia Rosales denied it on August 13. He had pleaded no contest in 2021 to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend after facing domestic violence charges.
In her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, Panettiere alleged Brian beat her so severely she had to stay inside for weeks. She described the relationship as a "very dark and complicated time in my life." She also spoke about signing over custody of her daughter Kaya to Wladimir Klitschko while battling addiction, saying: "It wasn't a decision I made lightly, nor was it a decision I even wanted to make."
Tributes and Impact
Klitschko, Panettiere's former fiancé, paid tribute to her on Instagram, writing: "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."
