EXCLUSIVE: Hayden Panettiere's Friends Tried to Intervene in Her Troubled Relationship With On-and-Off Boyfriend Brian Hickerson, Before Actress's Shocking Death at 36
Hayden Panettiere had a volatile relationship with Brian Hickerson.
Aug. 17 2026, Published 6:50 p.m. ET
Hayden Panettiere's friends were reportedly so concerned for her personal health and well-being before her shocking death that they tried to pry her away from her troubled relationship with Brian Hickerson, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Heroes star's on-and-off boyfriend was arrested several times for domestic violence during their relationship, and her friends were worried for her safety.
Friends Feared for Hayden Panettiere's Troubled Romance
The on-and-off couple flew together to Greenville, South Carolina, a day before the actress died.
The relationship became so volatile that Panettiere's friends had enough, especially after he was sentenced to 45 days in jail for "domestic violence."
"Hayden’s rekindled relationship with Brian was already raising alarms. But this fight was the last straw," an insider confided at the time. "Some people around her are convinced she needs an intervention – and soon. Her family and friends want to get her help and away from her boyfriend. They fear he's leading her down a path of self-destruction."
The insider added, "Brian clearly has anger management issues and violent tendencies. Her loved ones are really worried about her."
Brian Hickerson Served Time in Jail
Hickerson's temper and violence toward Panettiere saw him thrown in jail multiple times.
Hickerson only served 12 days out of his full 45-day jail sentence in 2021, thanks to a plea deal he worked out with prosecutors.
However, it was hardly his only brush with the law over their relationship. Hickerson was arrested in May 2019 on suspicion of domestic violence involving the actress, though the case was later dismissed.
He 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."
And he was arrested yet again in July 2020 after prosecutors filed an eight-count criminal complaint over a string of alleged abusive incidents.
Paramedics Rushed to Try to Save Hayden Panettiere's Life
Emergency responders answered a call about an unresponsive woman in an apartment
Panettiere and Hickerson reportedly traveled from Los Angeles to South Carolina on August 15. While it's not clear if Hickerson was with her when she died, he was reportedly staying with her in an apartment in Greenville.
An unknown person made the 911 call alerting authorities to Panettiere's condition.
As Radar reported, first responders and Emergency Medical Services fielded a call about a woman in cardiac arrest Sunday, August 16.
When they arrived at the apartment, "Panettiere was found unresponsive inside the residence, where she had been temporarily staying," according to a statement given to Radar.
The statement added, "EMS personnel initiated advanced cardiac life support measures; however, resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, and the individual was pronounced deceased at 2:32 PM."
Hayden Panettiere's Possible 'Overdose'
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A nasal spray used to combat drug overdoses was reportedly found in the home as well.
According to TMZ, Narcan, a medicine typically used for emergency drug overdoses, was reportedly found in the home, and emergency responders radioed that the Nashville star may have had an accidental "overdose" of something.
An autopsy concluded that "no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death," and "the cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies."
