Watch: Police Conduct Welfare Check at Brian Hickerson’s Family Home Days After Hayden Panettiere’s Death
More details are coming to light about the day Hayden Panettiere died.
Before the Heroes alum was treated by first responders for an apparent overdose and cardiac arrest, according to 911 dispatch audio, her on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson treated her with the overdose reversal medication Narcan, according to his brother Zach Hickerson.
After Brian and Zach realized that Panettiere was unconscious in the Greenville, S.C., apartment where she was staying, Zach told TMZ in a statement, “I immediately called 911 and Brian gave her Narcan.”
“We then jointly performed CPR while 911 was on speaker until Fire and EMS arrived,” the pastor, who alongside his brother was present at the apartment complex when she was pronounced dead, added. “At that point we watched as they tried every measure possible to save her life.”
Brian’s attorney had no comment when reached by E! News regarding Zach’s statement.
Following her death, Greenville County Coroner Mike Ellis performed an autopsy and noted in his report, obtained by E! News, that “no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death.” (Her cause and manner of death have not been released.)
In addition to revealing that Brian gave Panettiere Narcan, Zach also gave an account of his day before he and his brother realized the Nashville actress was unconscious.
“On Sunday morning, I woke up at my Airbnb, got dressed and went to Church,” he continued in his statement. “I exchanged messages that morning with Brian on my way. We planned on us all getting lunch and playing indoor golf after the service.”
However, Zach noted he couldn’t reach Brian or Panettiere after church and, assuming they had both fallen asleep, he drove to the apartment they were renting.
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“I knocked loudly which apparently woke Brian up from a nap they were both taking on the pull-out couch bed in the living room,” he shared. “When we went in and tried to wake Hayden up for lunch, we realized she was unconscious.”
Amid the investigation into Panettiere’s death, Zach noted there are many “speculations and accusations currently swirling.” So, he said he was speaking out in order to clear the air.
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“At this time, I want to clarify my involvement in effort to keep the focus on the fact that we lost one of the most precious individuals on this earth,” he explained, “and to allow those that cared about her to mourn without additional noise, chaos, and misinformation being created and propagated by the media as well as the public.”
Zach—whose brother was first linked to the Remember the Titans star in 2018—also emphasized that he is “beyond heartbroken and devastated” by Panettiere’s death.
“Hayden was one of my dearest and closest friends that I loved and cared about for the last 8 years,” he added. “Out of respect for her loved ones, the speculation and sensationalism of her death needs to end until the facts can be released from the investigation.”
For all the details about Panettiere’s death, keep reading…
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“Brian did not become emotional until EMS declared her officially deceased.”E! News has reached out to Zach for comment but has not heard back. Meanwhile, Brian’s attorney Sloan Ellis has spoken out.”Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed,” Ellis told E! News Aug. 20. “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.”And while police told People officers “responded to a call for a welfare check at a home belonging to Brian Hickerson’s family” on Aug. 19, they noted “the call is unrelated to the Hayden Panettiere death investigation and did not require an incident report.”
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While Panettiere—whose brother Jansen died in 2023 at ae 28—and her mom had publicly spoken about their estrangement, Vogel remembered her daughter as “an amazingly talented person in so many departments.””I think young people who grow up in the entertainment industry—it is a struggle and it’s a very challenging industry,” she added, “and it’s not unusual for them to sadly find the wrong path.”Additionally, her ex Wladimir Klitschko addressed his “profound shock and grief” he and their daughter Kaya were facing in the wake of Panettiere’s death. The Ukranian boxer further vowed to keep the Nashville alum’s legacy alive in Kaya’s memory.
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