Hayden Panettiere Seen With On-Off Boyfriend Brian Hickerson Less Than 24 Hours Before Her Death at 36
Hayden Panettiere final hours was reportedly spent with her boyfriend.
Aug. 31 2026, Published 7:55 p.m. ET
Less than 24 hours before Hayden Panettiere was found unresponsive at a South Carolina home, the troubled actress was photographed boarding a flight out of Los Angeles with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson.
RadarOnline.com can reveal Panettiere, 36, and Hickerson were spotted at LAX on August 15 before flying to Greenville, South Carolina.
Hayden Panettiere Final Moments
Panettiere boarded a flight at LAX with boyfriend Brian Hickerson before her tragic death.
The following afternoon, emergency responders raced to a home after a frantic 911 caller reported an apparent overdose and cardiac arrest involving the Heroes star. She was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m.
Police say an acquaintance placed the 911 call, and investigators have found no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.
Panettiere and Hickerson shared a highly turbulent on-and-off relationship.
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Hickerson and Panettiere began dating in 2018 and endured a tumultuous relationship marked by breakups and reconciliations. In May, he publicly admitted he abused the Scream 4 star.
Panettiere, who battled addiction, leaves behind her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya. Before her tragic passing, Panettiere once wrote that a doctor told her she would be "dead within five years" if she did not stop drinking.
She turned to treatment in 2020, entering an eight-month stay and battling withdrawal symptoms.
The movie star's father confirmed her death and wrote in a heartbreaking statement, "... 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."
