The disturbing allegations surrounding Hayden Panettiere's final months have taken another dramatic turn, with her estranged mother claiming the actress's on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, pawned some of her belongings-including a vintage guitar.
Lesley Vogel told The New York Times that she traveled to Los Angeles last year while Panettiere was suffering from an unexplained pins-and-needles sensation in her lower body that reportedly made walking and functioning difficult. The family sought medical treatment and experimented with massage and acupuncture, but Vogel said her daughter remained vulnerable and in considerable pain.
It was during this period, Vogel alleged, that she discovered Hickerson had pawned some of Panettiere's possessions. The actress was also reportedly stunned to learn that other belongings had been placed inside Hickerson's storage unit. An unnamed source reportedly corroborated the claim that Hickerson had sold some of the actress's property.
The financial allegation is especially eyebrow-raising because Hickerson filed for bankruptcy in 2022, reportedly listing approximately $25,700 in assets against around $60,000 in liabilities. He later became Panettiere's assistant, with his LinkedIn profile describing round-the-clock responsibilities for an unidentified "high-profile confidential client," including handling emails and caring for two dogs.
Vogel claimed her attempts to keep Hickerson away from her daughter's finances and personal affairs helped trigger another painful rupture between mother and daughter. Panettiere, however, had previously presented a more complicated picture of their relationship, writing that she sometimes felt her mother behaved more like a business manager than a parent.
Even more troubling, two sources reportedly told The Times that a New York bookstore hosting Panettiere's memoir tour received explicit instructions not to admit Hickerson. The actress was also said to have traveled with private security intended to keep him away. During a podcast appearance shortly before the tour, Panettiere admitted that escaping the relationship required far more support than she initially believed.
"I needed an incredible amount of support and backup in order to make sure that there was no way for him to find his way back in," she said on Jay Shetty's On Purpose podcast.
Despite those alleged precautions, Panettiere and Hickerson were photographed together again in March 2026. They traveled to South Carolina shortly before she was found unresponsive on August 16 at the age of 36. Authorities have said there were no apparent signs of trauma or foul play, and her official cause of death remains under investigation while toxicology results are pending.
Hickerson has not publicly answered the pawning allegations. His attorney said the investigation into Panettiere's death should be allowed to proceed and declined further comment out of respect for her loved ones.
The new claims do not establish that Hickerson was responsible for Panettiere's death. They do, however, add another deeply unsettling chapter to the actress's turbulent final years-a vintage guitar allegedly pawned, possessions discovered in storage and private security reportedly enlisted to keep a former boyfriend away.
