Hayden Panettiere's Final Moments: Late Actress Flew to South Carolina with On-Off Boyfriend Brian Hickerson Just One Day Before 'Overdose' Death at 36
Hayden Panettiere's final hours saw her fly from L.A. to South Carolina with on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson.
Aug. 17 2026, Published 1:30 p.m. ET
Hayden Panettiere's final hours before her shocking death included a mysterious last-minute trip to South Carolina and a reunion with her troubled on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson, who was previously arrested over allegations that he brutally assaulted the actress, RadarOnline.com can reveal
The timeline saw Panettiere and Hickerson fly out of Los Angeles on August 15 and head east, ultimately ending up in Greenville, South Carolina, where paramedics would be called to a residence in a desperate attempt to save her life.
Hayden Panetierre Dies in a South Carolina Apartment After Suffering a Possible 'Overdose'
Panettiere was pronounced dead after CPR attempts failed to revive her.
It's unclear why the couple suddenly turned up in Greenville, a city of roughly 75,000 people in South Carolina's Upstate region, but Hickerson is a native of the Palmetto State and is believed to have family in the area.
Paramedics were called to an apartment at the sprawling Judson Mill complex, a renovated former textile mill transformed into lofts, restaurants, shops, and event spaces.
The 911 call on the day of Panettiere's August 16 death – just five days before she was due to turn 37 – came at 1:50 p.m. local time, when a dispatcher alerted responding units to an "unresponsive female" in "cardiac arrest."
EMS were later heard on the radio working on the patient, who had suffered an "overdose," and CPR was "in progress." Panettiere was pronounced dead inside the apartment at 2:32 p.m local time.
'No Signs of Foul Play or Suspicious Cicumstances'
Foul play is not suspected in Panettiere's death.
"[Officers], accompanied by EMS personnel, responded to a report of an unresponsive female at around 1.50 p.m. Sunday. Upon arrival, medical assistance was administered; however, the individual, later identified as Hayden Panettiere, was pronounced deceased at the scene," a statement from the Greenville Police Department read, confirming some of the information heard on the dispatch call.
The department added that "The case is under investigation by the Greenville Police Department in conjunction with the Greenville County Coroner's Office. The preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances."
While Hickerson was not mentioned, the statement noted that an "acquaintance of Ms. Panettiere placed the 911 call."
Hayden Panettiere Was Back Together With Brian Hickerson
Panettiere and Brian Hickerson began dating in 2018, but he was arrested in domestic violence incidents several times.
Panettiere and Hickerson appeared to have rekindled their romance amid a turbulent eight-year relationship that began in 2018.
The wannabe actor was sentenced to 45 days behind bars in 2021 after pleading no contest to two felony counts stemming from domestic violence allegations involving the Heroes alum.
It was hardly Hickerson's first brush with the law over his volatile relationship with Panettiere. He was arrested in May 2019 on suspicion of domestic violence involving the actress, though the case was later dismissed.
Hickerson was hauled off to jail again in the early-morning hours of Valentine's Day 2020 in Wyoming after allegedly punching Panettiere "with a closed fist on the right side of her face." He was arrested yet again in July 2020 after prosecutors filed an eight-count criminal complaint over a string of alleged abusive incidents.
Hayden Panettiere Was Candid About Her Past Substance Abuse
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The actress sought treatment for both alcohol and opioid abuse.
Former child star Panettiere had been candid about her years-long battle with substance abuse, including crippling alcoholism, which spiraled following the 2014 birth of her daughter, Kaya, as she struggled with severe postpartum depression.
During that time, an old neck injury flared up, and the actress turned to opioids, telling Women's Health in 2023, "I was in a lot of pain. My tolerance got so high so fast that it became a problem."
Panetierre checked herself into rehab in 2015, but was back in treatment in 2021 after she returned to drinking and her health began to fail.
"My body was like, 'enough.' I hit 30. My face was swollen. I had jaundice. My eyes were yellow. I had to go to a liver specialist. I was holding on to weight that wasn’t normally there. My hair was thin and coming out in clumps," she told the outlet, revealing that she eventually enrolled in a 12-step program as well as trauma therapy.
