The mystery surrounding Hayden Panettiere's sudden death continues to deepen, and now the man whose turbulent relationship with the actress repeatedly made headlines has finally broken his silence.
Brian Hickerson, Panettiere's on-again, off-again boyfriend, has issued his first public statement since the Nashville and Heroes star died at age 36 on Sunday, August 16. But anyone expecting Hickerson to open up about what happened inside the South Carolina residence where Panettiere died will have to keep waiting.
Hickerson spoke through his attorney, Sloan Ellis, who stressed that the investigation remains active.
"Hayden's death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed," Ellis said in a statement reported by TMZ and PEOPLE. The attorney also pointed to police statements that the preliminary investigation found no evidence of foul play. Hickerson will make no further comment for now out of respect for Panettiere's loved ones and the investigation.
The carefully worded statement arrives as scrutiny surrounding Panettiere's final hours intensifies.
Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were both at the Greenville, South Carolina, residence when Panettiere was found unresponsive. According to the police report, responding officers encountered the brothers while emergency personnel attempted to revive the actress. An officer reported seeing no obvious physical explanation for why Panettiere was unresponsive.
Authorities have emphasized that there were no preliminary signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. An autopsy reportedly found no signs of trauma, while an official cause and manner of death have not yet been announced. Toxicology testing remains an important outstanding part of the investigation.
But the investigation has now expanded beyond local authorities.
ABC News reports that the Drug Enforcement Administration is assisting the Greenville City Police Department, which remains the lead investigative agency. The Greenville County Coroner's Office is also involved.
That development has inevitably fueled speculation, but the DEA's involvement does not by itself establish Panettiere's cause of death or prove criminal wrongdoing. Authorities have not announced that Hickerson is suspected of causing her death.
The renewed attention on Hickerson is especially intense because his history with Panettiere was anything but simple.
The pair began dating in 2018, and their relationship subsequently became entangled in domestic violence cases. Hickerson eventually served jail time following criminal proceedings connected to abuse allegations involving Panettiere. Despite their troubled history, the two later reconnected.
Now another disturbing detail from their past has resurfaced. TMZ reports that residents at a Los Angeles condominium complex where Panettiere once lived had previously been warned to call 911 if Hickerson appeared on the property. A warning containing his photograph was reportedly posted following complaints concerning his alleged behavior.
That history makes his presence during Panettiere's final hours particularly striking, even though police continue to say they have found no indication of foul play.
Meanwhile, another person who worked closely with Panettiere has made troubling claims about the period before her death.
Griff Furst, who directed Panettiere in the 2025 film A Breed Apart, says members of her team had discussed staging an intervention and that he had been asked to participate. Furst claimed the actress was struggling to remain sober while working on the movie. The intervention ultimately never happened, according to his account.
Panettiere herself had previously been candid about her battles with alcohol and opioid addiction, making the reports surrounding her final days particularly heartbreaking.
Adding another painful layer to the tragedy, Panettiere reportedly had plans to celebrate her 37th birthday with her daughter, Kaya, shortly after the weekend on which she died.
For now, Hickerson appears determined to say as little as possible.
His attorney's message is essentially one of patience: allow investigators to establish what happened before drawing conclusions.
And despite the swirl of headlines surrounding Panettiere's relationship history, medications reportedly found at the scene, the DEA's involvement and claims that an intervention had been contemplated, one crucial fact remains unchanged: authorities have not yet publicly determined exactly what caused Hayden Panettiere's death.
