Zach Hickerson Says Rumors About Hayden Panettiere’s Death Are Why He and His Brother Got Into a Bar Fight

14 Sep 2026, 14:46 by Jerome London · Thought Catalog

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Updated 3 hours ago, September 14, 2026

Zach Hickerson says a bar fight involving him and his brother, Brian Hickerson, stemmed from rumors circulating about the death of actress Hayden Panettiere, who was Brian’s on-and-off girlfriend.

Zach said he and Brian were attacked after people believed rumors about Panettiere’s death. Asked about the fight, he told TMZ: “It’s just super frustrating all that we’ve been through and all the rumours that get started and then people believe them and then they attack as a result of the rumours. That’s what p***** me off.”

*PREMIUM-EXCLUSIVE* **USA AND CANADA CLIENTS MUST CALL FOR RIGHTS** UPDATE 12:55 PM PST — TMZ has obtained video of Zach and Brian Hickerson prior to the all-out brawl erupting seemingly showing the brothers beginning to boil over alleged heckling over Hayden Panettiere’s death. Brian Hickerson had a wild night with his brother, Zach, at a South Carolina bar … and it ended with the brothers in handcuffs and Brian claiming that police leaked details about the death of his actress girlfriend, Hayden Panettiere. The Greenville PD tells TMZ … Brian was ultimately released, but Zach was taken into custody for disorderly conduct and brought to jail. All the drama kicked off Saturday night at Wild Wing Cafe in Greenville when Brian suddenly picked up a stool at the bar and slung it backwards, according to sources with direct knowledge. Our sources say Brian had been drinking for hours with his brother at a table in the back of the saloon before he went up to the bar to chat with some people. In video, obtained by TMZ, Brian is seen being hoisted into the air by someone behind him during an argument with other patrons. Brian was then carried out of the restaurant as a bartender yells, “Let him go!” We’re told Greenville PD officers were called and responded to the bar for a report of an “assault.” Police say they encountered Brian and Zach invovled in an altercation with other people outside the joint. We’re told Brian got handcuffed by officers at one point, and yelled, “GPD leaked it when my girlfriend died,” a clear reference to the death of Hayden. Police say Zach was highly intoxicated and began yelling profanities, leading to his arrest for disorderly conduct. Brian, however, was not arrested and released. As you know, Zach discovered Hayden’s body in a Greenville apartment where she and Brian were staying on August 16. In a statement, Zach told TMZ Brian administered Narcan to Hayden after finding her unconscious, but she could not be revived. Hayden’s cause and manner of death have yet to be released. Law enforcement sources tell us … the Drug Enforcement Administration has launched an investigation into Hayden’s death. We reached out to Zach and Brian’s attorney … so far no word back. **MANDATORY CREDIT: TMZ/BACKGRID**

Zach wouldn’t explain what he believed people had gotten wrong, but said they “fill in their own holes” about information posted online. “I’ll clarify eventually,” he added. He also didn’t answer when asked how Brian was coping after Panettiere’s death.

The brothers were reportedly heckled about Panettiere before the confrontation at Wild Wing Cafe in Greenville, South Carolina, on Saturday, September 12. Police responded to a reported assault, and Brian was seen throwing a bar stool. He was released without being arrested, while Zach was booked on a disorderly conduct charge.

Zach and Brian were at the Greenville property where Panettiere was found unresponsive last month. According to a police incident report, Zach said Brian had been sleeping in another room before Panettiere was discovered in a chair. Brian administered Narcan, and CPR was performed while they communicated with emergency dispatchers.

Panettiere, 36, was pronounced dead after emergency workers responded to a report of a woman in cardiac arrest. Authorities found no signs of trauma, and her cause of death remains under investigation while toxicology results are pending.

People reported that Brian met with the Drug Enforcement Administration as authorities pursued leads involving a possible drug supplier. He hasn’t been named as a suspect.

Brian and Panettiere began an on-and-off relationship in 2018. He pleaded no contest in 2021 to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend, served jail time and was ordered to attend domestic violence classes.

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