As on-line hypothesis swirls round Brian Hickerson — an on-again, off-again boyfriend of Hayden Panettiere who was current when she was present in cardiac arrest — his brother is talking out to inform their aspect of the story.
Zach Hickerson spoke with TMZ on Friday, virtually every week after Panettiere died of an obvious overdose, and following days of accelerating scrutiny over Brian’s involvement in her life.
“The reality will come out because the authorities full and launch further particulars from the investigation,” Zach Hickerson stated in a press release to the outlet. “And that’s essential as a result of the individuals who cherished and adored Hayden deserve the reality.”
Web would-be sleuths have popped up in Zach’s feedback on social media this week, probing Brian’s habits and former conduct.
On Wednesday, Panettiere’s former West Hollywood neighbor Mia Terrazas advised “Inside Version” that she was “terrified” of Brian, and that the house complicated at one level had indicators posted warning passersby to name the police if anybody noticed him. On Thursday, Panettiere’s mom, Lesley Vogel, pointed blame for the actor’s dying towards Brian.
However on Friday, Zach stated that it was Brian who gave Panettiere a dose of Narcan — a medicine that may shortly reverse or cut back the consequences of an opioid overdose — after the brothers found she was unconscious on the Greenville, S.C., Airbnb the place they had been staying.
“I need to make clear my involvement in an effort to maintain the concentrate on the truth that we misplaced probably the most valuable people on this earth and to permit those who cared about her to mourn with out further noise, chaos, and misinformation being created and propagated by the media in addition to the general public,” he advised TMZ.
Zach advised the outlet that he made plans to get lunch and play indoor golf along with his brother and the actor after church on Sunday morning. When he tried unsuccessfully to achieve them, he drove to the rental residence and “knocked loudly, which apparently woke Brian up from a nap they had been each taking up the pull-out sofa mattress in the lounge.”
After they realized Panettiere was unconscious, “I instantly known as 911 and Brian gave her Narcan. We then collectively carried out CPR whereas 911 was on speaker till Hearth and EMS arrived. At that time we watched as they tried each measure doable to avoid wasting her life.”
In response to a report from Greenville, S.C., police, Zach was “very emotional” as paramedics tried to revive Panettiere, and Brian “didn’t grow to be emotional” till paramedics declared that she was useless.
Over the course of Brian’s unstable relationship with the actor, he was arrested a number of instances on suspicion of home violence in opposition to Panettiere. These embody in Might 2019 in Los Angeles (expenses had been later dismissed when prosecutors couldn’t safe a fabric witness) and once more on Valentine’s Day 2020 in Wyoming (misdemeanor battery expenses had been finally dropped). Following an eight-count prison indictment in July 2020 that lined a number of violent incidents between Might 2019 and January 2020, Brian pleaded no contest in April 2021 to 2 felony counts of injuring a partner or girlfriend.
He was sentenced to 45 days in jail (however served 13 days as a consequence of credit score for time served) together with 4 years of formal probation, necessary home violence courses, and a five-year protecting order.
Three days earlier than Panettiere’s dying, Brian tried to expunge and cut back his previous felony expenses however was denied by a Los Angeles choose. He made the identical request in July 2025, which was additionally denied.
“Hayden was one among my dearest and closest associates that I cherished and cared about for the final 8 years,” Zach stated in his assertion to TMZ. “Out of respect for her family members, the hypothesis and sensationalism of her dying wants to finish till the information might be launched from the investigation.”