Hayden Panettiere‘s boyfriend Brian Hickerson has finally issued his first statement, days after her death. The 36-year-old acclaimed actress was known for her roles in Heroes, Nashville, and more.
Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson has broken his silence with a statement on her death, reports TMZ. The statement comes from his attorney, Sloan Ellis from the Ellis Hinton law firm. “Hayden’s death remains under investigation, and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed.”
The statement added, “As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play.” Hickerson ended the statement by mentioning that he respects Hayden Panettiere’s loved ones and the current investigation. That’s why “there will be no further comment at this time.”
As per TMZ, both Brian and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were present when the actress passed away. While Brian was asleep in another room, it was Zach who found her unresponsive reportedly.
What authorities have said about Hayden Panettiere’s death investigation
Hayden Panettiere was found unresponsive at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina on Sunday, August 16, 2026. It was later confirmed that she was in cardiac arrest.
After her death, the Greenville County Coroner’s Office issued a statement, revealing that the first responders and Emergency Medical Services tried their best to revive her using advanced cardiac life support.
However, all of their “resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, and the individual was pronounced deceased at 2:32 PM,” read the statement. Later, the authorities also reported no “signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.” The official cause of her death hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Hickerson’s name has been surfacing in the case of Panettiere’s death because of his troubling past with the late actress. Previously, he has been arrested multiple times on domestic-violence-related charges during their relationship.
Back in 2020, the former Scream star had even released a statement when Hickerson was arrested on eight domestic-violence-charges. Speaking up on her traumatic experience, she hoped that her “story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve,” read the statement.
The two were last spotted publicly earlier this year in March.
