Brian Hickerson's Chilling Remark About Hayden Panettiere on Film Set Revealed by Director
A movie director has revealed a chilling comment allegedly made by Brian Hickerson about Hayden Panettiere on a film set.
Aug. 26 2026, Published 3:05 p.m. ET
A movie director has opened up about an exchange he had with Brian Hickerson after the real estate recruiter allegedly made a chilling remark about girlfriend Hayden Panettiere on set, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Griff Furst worked with the Heroes star on A Breed Apart, and it was during the filming of the 2025 horror comedy that he encountered Hickerson.
'What The F--?'
Griff Hurst admits he was taken aback by Hickerson's alleged remark.
Turning to Instagram, Furst claimed: "The first scene that I'm directing Hayden in, we are in the middle of a camera rehearsal, and I'm at the monitor, and he's about 15 feet away on the set.
"And I feel Brian hovering in on my shoulder, and he leans in, and he says to me, 'You let me know what you need her to do – I can get her to do anything.'"
Lake Placid 3 director Furst, 44, said that his "immediate reaction" to the comment was, "What the f---?"
"But what I said was, 'Alright,' because what else do you say? Because you're in the middle of a rehearsal, and somebody you didn't hire says that to you," Furst said.
'We Could All See It and We All Wanted to Help'
Furst said Hickerson's behavior towards Panettiere worried crewmembers.
Furst said Hickerson's alleged comment was presented like a "bizarre power flex."
"We could all see it, and we all wanted to help, but spotting a red flag and physically pulling somebody out of a toxic situation are very different things,” he explained.
“I don't think anybody knows right now what happened to Hayden, and more so, I don’t believe that Brian wanted this tragedy to happen at all. But the dynamic that they were in was noticeably destructive."
Furst added, "He is just not the kind of person that you would want directing the life of a co-worker or a friend or a mother or a daughter.
"It made me think of the similarities to Brittany Murphy – just in the sense that I made a movie with her about a year before she passed, and she too was a brilliant, incredibly gifted woman."
Comparisons With Brittany Murphy
Furst likened Panettiere's situation with fellow tragic actress, Brittany Murphy.
However, Furst said Murphy – who died in December 2009 from untreated pneumonia, severe iron-deficiency anemia, and drug intoxication – got "sucked into a dark place alongside the partner that she chose," referring to the late Simon Monjack, who was accused of isolating the 8 Mile actress by being manipulative and controlling her career.
Furst added that he's "seen scores of people who have (been) lost to substance (abuse), and on their way down" due to the company that they kept.
“These tragedies seem to always be preceded by an identifiable pattern, which is the reason that I’m talking about this right now, because it’s in the spotlight,” he added.
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Panettiere's mom, Lesley Vogel, has blamed Hickerson for her daughter’s death.
Panettiere was found unresponsive by Hickerson's brother, Zach, in a South Carolina Airbnb on August 16. Her estranged mom, Lesley Vogel, has since blamed Hickerson for her daughter’s death.
He had been arrested several times for allegedly abusing Panettiere. An official cause of death has not yet been released.
