Brian Hickerson was with Hayden Panettiere before death

Hayden Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson was reportedly with the actress in South Carolina shortly before she died at the age of 36.

According to reports, a law enforcement source said Hickerson was with Panettiere at the time of her death. It remains unclear whether he was the person who contacted emergency services.

Panettiere was found unresponsive at a residence in South Carolina at around 1:50 p.m. on August 16, according to Greenville Police. Emergency responders arrived at the scene and attempted to revive the actress using advanced cardiac life support measures. Despite their efforts, she was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m.

Police previously confirmed that an acquaintance of Panettiere made the 911 call. Authorities also said their preliminary investigation had not uncovered evidence of foul play or suspicious circumstances.

Dispatch audio reviewed after her death reportedly referenced a possible overdose and cardiac arrest. However, officials have not yet confirmed those details as the cause of death. An autopsy was completed on Monday, but the actress’s official cause and manner of death remain pending.

Panettiere was last publicly seen with Hickerson at Los Angeles International Airport in March, adding further attention to their complicated relationship.

The former couple first began dating in 2018. Panettiere later described that period of her life as particularly difficult as she struggled with alcohol and opioid addiction. In a 2022 interview, she opened up about feeling disconnected from herself and said that her struggles had affected both her personal life and career.

Their relationship also became controversial because of Hickerson’s legal history. He was arrested multiple times during their relationship, including arrests connected to domestic violence allegations in 2019 and 2020.

Following Hickerson’s 2020 arrest, Panettiere publicly addressed domestic abuse and encouraged people experiencing similar situations to seek support. Her comments drew significant public attention as fans followed the actress’s difficult personal journey.

Despite their turbulent history, Panettiere and Hickerson remained connected over the years and were occasionally seen together. Their most recent public appearance in March suggested that they had continued to maintain some form of relationship, although the exact nature of their connection was not always clear.

Panettiere, best known for her roles in “Heroes” and “Nashville,” had spent much of her life in the public eye. Her death at 36 has prompted an outpouring of reactions from fans and colleagues, while authorities continue to await the final findings surrounding her death.

At this stage, officials have not confirmed that Hickerson had any involvement in Panettiere’s death. The investigation remains ongoing, and the final medical findings are expected to provide more information about what happened before the actress died.