Brian Hickerson and his brother Zach were both present when Hayden Panettiere died at a South Carolina apartment complex on Sunday, according to a police report obtained by Page Six.
The siblings were at Judson Mill Lofts in Greenville when the “Heroes” alum, 36, went into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m., the heavily redacted Greenville Police Department report states. Panettiere had flown from Los Angeles to South Carolina on Saturday with Hickerson, her on-again, off-again boyfriend, sources said.
Zach Hickerson was described in the police report as “very emotional” while emergency medical services professionals “were working on” Panettiere. Brian Hickerson, meanwhile, “did not become emotional” until Panettiere was officially declared dead, according to the same report.
Zach referred to Panettiere as his “brother’s girlfriend,” the document notes. The 911 call that brought first responders to the scene was placed by “an acquaintance” of Panettiere’s, according to a Greenville Police Department statement.
Dispatch audio obtained by Page Six referenced a possible “overdose” alongside “cardiac arrest” when EMS was summoned around 1:51 p.m. CPR was already in progress when crews arrived. Two ambulances were dispatched to the property but left without transporting anyone, reports said.
The Greenville County Coroner’s Office completed an autopsy on Monday. “No signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death,” Coroner Mike Ellis stated. “The cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies. This investigation remains active and ongoing.”
Law enforcement sources said that Narcan, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, was found on a mattress at the scene. It has not been established whether the medication was administered to Panettiere or to someone else present.
In the viral moment that preceded this latest revelation, Panettiere had been open about her struggles with addiction and mental health. She released her memoir “This Is Me: A Reckoning” in May 2026, detailing what the synopsis described as “postpartum depression, addiction and recovery, trauma, domestic abuse, and loss.” She had spoken about being in a “cycle of self-destruction” following severe postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter Kaya, now 11, with former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko. Her younger brother Jansen Panettiere died in 2023 at age 28, a loss she addressed candidly in her book and interviews.
Her father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed her death in a statement to ABC News on Sunday. “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” he said. “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.” He asked for privacy “as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”
Co-star Viola Davis, who appeared with Panettiere in “The Architect” and “Custody,” wrote in a tribute: “What an amazing talent you were….so gifted. Julius and I loved working with you….an old, wise soul with such a deep heart. I wish the world had more time with you because I had a burning curiosity about who you were becoming.”
The Greenville Police Department preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.