The Hayden Panettiere Story Keeps Getting More Complicated

The beloved actress Hayden Panettiere died on August 16 at 36, leaving behind an unforgettable legacy including roles in films Remember the Titans, Ice Princess, and Scream 4 and leading parts on TV series like Heroes and Nashville. She died of cardiac arrest that was caused by an apparent drug overdose, the New York Times reported. Throughout her adult life, she was open about her struggles with child stardom, postpartum depression, and drug abuse. With the release of her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, in May, Panettiere reentered the spotlight and was even working on new projects after a few troubled years, which made her untimely death even more shocking. As tributes to the late star rolled in, a series of controversies, both legal and personal, have started to surface. Here are the biggest questions surrounding the aftermath of her death.

What do we know about Panettiere’s abusive ex-boyfriend Brian Hickerson?

Panettiere was in an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina, with her on-again, off-again ex-boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother, Zack Hickerson, at the time of her death, per the New York Times. The brothers called 911 at 1:51 p.m. on August 16, and emergency medical personnel were dispatched and “attempted to perform life saving methods for an extended amount of time,” per a police report. She was pronounced dead at 2:30.

In her memoir, Panettiere detailed her abusive relationship with Brian, a former actor who, per his LinkedIn, currently works as an executive assistant. The two met eight years ago at a West Hollywood bar. “Seven years of mental illness, addiction, rage, abuse, and pain,” she wrote in her book. “Don’t get me wrong, there were also good times — almost too many to count. But good moments usually don’t leave scars like bad ones do.” Brian also spoke candidly about his drinking problem and violent behavior. “I had a lot to drink, and I got physical with her,” he told TMZ. She eventually pressed charges against him, and he pleaded guilty to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend. He then asked to have those counts reduced to misdemeanors but was denied three days before Panettiere died, per ABC News 13.

Is he currently being investigated?

The investigation into Panettiere’s death is currently being led by the Greenville Police Department, but the Drug Enforcement Administration joined forces on August 20, per ABC News. The DEA has not yet explained why it’s participating, but it has assisted with investigations into previous celebrity drug-related deaths, like Matthew Perry’s. The police report states that Brian showed officers a bag with medication that he claimed Panettiere was taking. We know that local investigators visited Brian following Panettiere’s death. Additionally, one of Panettiere’s West Hollywood neighbors, Mia Terrazas, alleged to Inside Edition that she’d called 911 at least six times over domestic disturbances between the two. “I saw her leaving on a gurney. Brian was right next to her, and I asked her if she was okay, and it looked to me that she had suffered some type of trauma that looked to be battering,” Terrazas said. “It was clear she was terrified.”

Brian’s lawyer, Sloan Ellis, made what amounts to his first public statement since Panettiere’s death on August 20. “Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed,” Ellis told TMZ. “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.”

How is her family responding?

Panettiere and her family experienced a lot of loss and trauma throughout the years. Panettiere specifically had a strained relationship with her mother, Lesley Vogel, dating back to her days as a child star. She was essentially raised on film and TV sets, and having her mom as a “momager” led to them becoming estranged. Vogel, a former soap actress, had Panettiere in 1989 with her husband, Skip Panettiere. Hayden had a younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, who was born in 1994 and died in 2023 from a heart defect. “He was my only sibling, and it was my job to protect him,” Hayden told People in 2024. “When I lost him, I felt like I lost half of my soul … I will always be heartbroken about [him], I will never be able to get over it. No matter how many years go by, I will never get over his loss.”

Skip was the first person from the family to confirm Hayden’s death, per ABC News. “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” he said in a statement on August 16. “She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen,” Then, on August 18, Vogel, who was estranged from Hayden at the time of her death, gave her first interview to NBC News, claiming her daughter “lost her way.” “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,” Vogel added. “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.”

Her cold comments stood in stark contrast to the warm memories that many of Hayden’s friends and former colleagues had of her. Gayle King called out this lack of empathy on August 19 while on air for CBS Mornings. “You know, guys, you read this and all I can think is, Thanks, Mom, for nothing,” King said. She added, “It makes me so sad, the opportunity that you have after your daughter’s death that that’s what you choose to leave us with.” Following King’s comments, Vogel followed up with a statement to Entertainment Tonight. “Although my daughter and I were estranged, it was not for lack of care or love,” she said. “It was due to the involvement of a toxic individual who I believe led to her death.” A mother herself, Hayden is survived by her daughter, Kaya, whom she had with Ukrainian boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko. “To our daughter Kaya,” Klitschko promised in a statement following Hayden’s death, “I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was.” After Hayden gave up custody, Kaya moved to live in Ukraine with her father full time.

Why are people boycotting Neutrogena?

Hayden Panettiere starred in a well-remembered series of commercials for Neutrogena in the 2000s. In her memoir, Panettiere claimed that she lost her Neutrogena contract after voluntarily checking herself into rehab while struggling with postpartum depression. While mourning her death, some fans have called for a boycott of Neutrogena products. 

Are any other stories from her memoir resurfacing?

Fans have reexamined many of Panettiere’s stories from her memoir. One of the most shocking comes from when she was 18 on a yacht party in France, and a friend she trusted, whom she calls Stella McAmis, brought her to a bed. There, “a famous British singer-songwriter” was naked. “Stella leaned down and whispered in my ear. ‘I want you to get in bed with him. He has a huge dick,’” she wrote. “She pulled back the covers on the unoccupied side of the bed, and I did as I was told. My thoughts were a blur, but I’d spent my life trusting that others had my best interests at heart. Being ‘managed’ was routine, to the point where I lost faith in my intuition.” After McAmis left, Panettiere ran out of the room. Some have tried speculating on who the unnamed people in the story are, but there has been no confirmation. However, the larger narrative is clear: Hollywood failed her.