Friend Describes Hayden Panettiere’s Final Hours as Investigation Continues

A close friend of Hayden Panettiere has shared new details about the actress’ final hours, as authorities continue to investigate her sudden death at age 36.

Zach Hickerson, the brother of Panettiere’s former boyfriend Brian Hickerson, said he was with the couple on Sunday and helped respond after Panettiere was found unconscious at an Airbnb in Greenville, South Carolina.

“There are a lot of assumptions, speculations and accusations currently swirling,” Zach told TMZ. “The truth will come out as the authorities complete and release additional details from the investigation.”

Zach said he had planned to meet Brian and Panettiere for lunch and indoor golf after attending church that morning. After failing to reach either of them by phone, he drove to the Airbnb.

According to Zach, he knocked loudly and eventually woke Brian, who had been taking a nap with Panettiere on a pull-out couch in the living room.

The brothers then tried to wake Panettiere but realized she was unconscious.

Zach said he immediately called 911 while Brian administered Narcan, a medication used to reverse potentially fatal opioid overdoses. The two men then performed CPR while emergency dispatchers remained on the phone.

Firefighters and emergency medical workers eventually arrived and attempted to revive Panettiere, but she could not be saved.

First responders found the actress unresponsive and in cardiac arrest at about 1:51 p.m. She was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m., according to officials.

A 911 call obtained by PEOPLE included discussion of a possible overdose. However, authorities have not officially determined that an overdose caused Panettiere’s death.

The coroner’s office said the cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and additional testing. Toxicology results could take up to eight weeks.

Police have said there were no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. A police report also stated that Brian showed officers a bag of medication Panettiere had been taking.

Zach said he wanted to push back against speculation surrounding the circumstances of Panettiere’s death and asked the public to allow her family and friends to grieve.

“Hayden was one of my dearest and closest friends that I loved and cared about for the last eight years,” he said. “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.”

Panettiere, known for roles in “Heroes” and “Nashville,” had a complicated relationship with Brian Hickerson. The pair dated on and off from 2018 to 2021, and Hickerson was arrested multiple times following domestic violence allegations.

In 2021, he pleaded no contest to two felony counts involving injury to a significant other. He served 33 days of a 45-day jail sentence and received a five-year restraining order.

Panettiere later described the abuse in her memoir. Hickerson subsequently acknowledged his past abusive behavior in an interview with TMZ.

Hickerson’s attorney, Sloan Ellis, has also urged people to allow the investigation to continue. “As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play,” Ellis said.

For now, Panettiere’s official cause of death remains unknown. Authorities are continuing to investigate, with toxicology and other studies expected to provide additional answers.

The actress is survived by her daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with former professional boxer Wladimir Klitschko.