Hayden Panettiere’s Troubled Ex Emerges in Chilling Final-Moments Detail

Greenville police conducted welfare checks Wednesday at a South Carolina residence connected to Brian and Zach Hickerson, just days after actress Hayden Panettiere was found dead at age 36. Two police cruisers were observed around 8 a.m. and again around 10 a.m. at the property. Officers knocked but received no answer.

Brian Hickerson, Panettiere’s on-again, off-again boyfriend, was among those present at the Greenville apartment when she was discovered unresponsive on Aug. 16. His brother Zach confirmed to police that Brian and the actress were in a relationship at the time of her death. Both men called 911. Authorities later executed a search warrant at the scene.

According to the police report, Zach appeared “very emotional” while paramedics worked on Panettiere. Brian did not become emotional until she was declared deceased. Officers were given a bag of medication she had allegedly been taking. Panettiere and Brian had traveled from Los Angeles the day before she was found.

The pair first met in 2018 through mutual friends shortly after her split from Wladimir Klitschko. Their relationship was marked by legal troubles. Hickerson was charged with domestic violence in 2019 and faced eight felony domestic violence charges in 2020. In 2021 he pleaded no contest to two felony counts and was sentenced accordingly.

Three days before Panettiere’s death, Hickerson appeared in a Los Angeles court seeking to expunge and reduce the felony counts. Prosecutors objected and the court denied the motion. A previous attempt in July 2025 had also been unsuccessful.

Panettiere had spoken publicly about the abuse, saying she hoped her story would empower others in similar situations. The welfare checks at the Hickerson-linked home occur as the investigation into her death continues, with no official cause yet determined and preliminary findings indicating no foul play.

The presence of both brothers at the scene and the subsequent police activity keep attention focused on the final chapter of a turbulent relationship.