Hayden Panettiere Death

Brian Hickerson was asleep in another room when Hayden Panettiere went into cardiac arrest ... and sources tell TMZ it was Brian's brother who discovered her.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Brian and Hayden were both inside an Airbnb in Greenville, South Carolina, Sunday afternoon -- when Zach Hickerson entered the residence and found Hayden in a chair in the living room.

We're told at the time Zach arrived, Brian was sleeping in a separate bedroom.

"Remember the Titans" actor Ethan Suplee shared a dark moment in his addiction battle while paying tribute to his costar Hayden Panettiere ... recalling the time he smoked heroin at their big movie premiere.

Ethan revealed on Substack that he was high on heroin at the film's 2000 premiere at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, smoking drugs in a bathroom just moments after sharing a sweet moment with Hayden.

Ethan said Hayden -- who was just 10 at the time -- ran up to him and jumped into his arms.

He recalled ... "Holding her I was lighter, some of her energy and innocence washed over me, and for a moment my smile was genuine."

Hayden Panettiere's estranged mom just broke her silence over her daughter's shocking death ... and she used the opportunity to dump on Hayden's boyfriend, Brian Hickerson.

Lesley Vogel told NBC News ... "This person in her life that we have been trying to get rid of for quite some time was with her at her death, and that was Brian Hickerson."

It's worth noting ... Brian loathed Lesley as much as she hated him ... telling TMZ back in May, "Hayden's mother is by far one of the worst people I've ever met in my life ... I just can't with her. She's terrible."

As TMZ reported ... Brian and his brother Zach were at the scene when Hayden died on Sunday in a South Carolina apartment.

Hayden Panettiere's shocking death has put a target on Neutrogena's back ... and it's getting ugly for the skincare brand that cut ties with her years ago, allegedly over her postpartum comments.

Here's the deal ... Hayden was the face of Neutrogena for several years -- but that all came to a screeching halt after she talked about her postpartum depression back in 2015 while a guest on "Live! with Kelly and Michael."

The company allegedly wanted to boot her then and there after she walked off stage -- but Hayden said her agent saved her job in the moment.

Still, once her contract expired, she was cut loose ... and her fans haven't forgotten ... or forgiven.

Hayden Panettiere was afraid she'd get blowback from "dangerous" former friends when she released her memoir ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to Hayden tell TMZ ... she'd told people close to her she was nervous about publicly releasing details of her tortured past.

We're told the actress was specifically concerned about publicizing the time a friend allegedly tried to set up a sex session with a naked male singer on a yacht when she was only 18.

Hayden Panettiere had a bag full of medication when she died suddenly on Sunday ... and her boyfriend showed the meds to cops.

According to the police report ... Hayden's boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother, Zach, were in the Greenville, SC, apartment when she died ... and Brian showed police the "bag of medication" Hayden was taking at the time of her death.

The specific meds were not identified in the police report obtained by TMZ ... though it sounds like nine different drugs were redacted.

TMZ broke the story ... Narcan was found in the apartment where she died. Narcan is administered nasally to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, and we're told the device used to dispense it was found on a mattress.

Hayden Panettiere's boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother were at the scene when the actress was found dead Sunday, according to police.

A police report obtained by TMZ says Brian and Zach Hickerson were inside the South Carolina apartment complex when she went into cardiac arrest.

Zach was reportedly "very emotional" while emergency medical services professionals were "working on Hayden."

As for Brian ... the report, as cited by NBC, says he didn't become visibly emotional until she was declared dead at the scene ... and he showed cops a bag of medication Hayden was taking at the time of her death.

Hilary Duff is paying tribute to her fellow former teen sensation Hayden Panettiere ... days after Hayden's shocking death.

The singer and actress shared an emotional note on social media Tuesday, saying it was "tough" to hear about Hayden's suspected overdose.

Hilary described Hayden as "so hardworking and effervescent" with a "big, gorgeous smile" before recalling their late-night chats as teens that bonded them together.

She wrote, "I remember staying up late, chatting and gossiping, and connecting because we were part of such a small sliver of people who actually understood the strange lot in life we were navigating.. so young, with no real idea how to make sense of any of it."

Hayden Panettiere's ex-fiancé and father of her daughter has spoken out following her tragic death ... sharing a heartfelt tribute that promises their child will always remember her.

Wladimir Klitschko shared the touching tribute on Instagram early Tuesday ... posting a throwback selfie with Hayden and their now 11-year-old daughter, Kaya. He wrote this is "a time of profound shock and grief" for their family and called Hayden "an important part" of his life.

He celebrated her success while also highlighting the downside of her fame, penning ... "She built an incredible career through immense talent, while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry. Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives."

Speaking directly to Kaya, he added ... "I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was."

Solange Knowles is saying goodbye to her late 'Bring It On' costar with an emotional farewell to Hayden Panettiere ... remembering Hayden for courageously living her "radical truth."

Solange says Hayden was on an endless quest for vulnerability and healing ... and she laments the way Hayden finally found the peace she deserved.

The two actresses starred in "Bring It On: All or Nothing" -- the third film in the popular cheerleading franchise.

Hayden Panettiere's boyfriend Brian Hickerson completely vanished from Instagram in the wake of her death ... and it's unclear who pulled the plug.

Brian's profile was still active when Hayden's death was first reported Sunday ... but it has since disappeared. Anyone trying to visit the account is now met with an error message.

It's unclear whether Brian scrubbed or deleted the account himself -- or if Instagram removed it.

Brian's IG account previously boasted 2.8K followers.

Hayden Panettiere was "struggling" and "really lonely" on what turned out to be the final movie she ever filmed ... so says her "Sleepwalker" costar, Justin Chatwin.

Justin opened up about their connection while speaking to People ... saying they grew close while filming in 2025 because she was so real with him. He explained, "[Actors are] trained to be on, and I really liked spending time with her because she took that off, and she was authentic with me about her life and she opened up about her struggles with addiction."

The Canadian actor originally met Hayden while she was starring on "Heroes" in the mid-2000s, and then reconnected for "Sleepwalker," a psychological thriller about domestic abuse -- something Hayden had been through.

Justin told People he "could tell she was struggling," adding ... "I was like, 'I don't think it's this movie' ... There's a handful of women that I've worked with that I really liked, and I really loved working with her, but I also know that she was really lonely."

Hayden Panettiere's family has been notified by a South Carolina coroner's office that her remains are ready for release -- after the actress died of a possible drug overdose, TMZ has learned.

A rep for the Greenville County Coroner's Office tells TMZ ... they have advised Hayden's parents that her body is ready to be turned over to them.

But the rep says the family has yet to choose a funeral home ... so, for now, Hayden will stay with the coroner's office.

Brian Hickerson suffered a legal setback just days before the death of his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Hayden Panettiere ... TMZ has confirmed.

A judge denied Hickerson’s request to have his past felony domestic violence charges reduced to misdemeanors, as well as his request to expunge the convictions, according to court documents, obtained by TMZ.

The ruling came Thursday, August 13 ... just three days before Panettiere died at age 36. Hickerson pleaded no contest in April 2021 to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend following a string of incidents involving Panettiere between May 2019 and January 2020. He had originally faced an eight-count criminal case.

Hayden Panettiere and Brian Hickerson kept their rekindled romance to themselves in order to protect her career ... TMZ has learned.

A source close to Brian tells TMZ ... the couple didn't break up as many times as the public was led to believe -- and were actually together while she was promoting her memoir "This Is Me: A Reckoning" in the months before her death.

Our source says Hayden was advised by her team to distance herself from Brian, at least publicly, even though they were still romantic in private.

The reason ... Hayden's camp felt Brian was "bad for business" while she was promoting her book. We're told their complicated history was perceived as being bad for book sales -- but they were still in constant communication during the promotional tour.

Hayden Panettiere's costar in the hit musical drama "Nashville" Charles Esten shared a loving tribute after her shocking death ... remembering he smacked her with a door during their first meeting.

The actor took to Instagram Monday to share series of photos taken during their time working on the TV show from 2012 to 2018 ... all shots of them flashing huge smiles.

He started off his caption by writing he and his wife -- Patty Hanson -- were shocked to learn of Hayden's death ... before he launched into the story of how they met.