Hickerson

HAYDEN Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend was by her side when the star died – and showed police a “bag of medication”.

Brian Hickerson did not become visibly emotional until EMS declared the 36-year-old actress dead, according to a heavily redacted report released by Greenville Police.

He was at the rented Airbnb apartment in Greenville, South Carolina, where the beloved Nashville and Heroes star was found “unresponsive” on Sunday, according to police bodycam footage that is yet to be released to the public.

Brian showed officers the medication that Hayden was taking at the time of her death, NBC News reported.

His brother, Zach, also witnessed her death, and was “very emotional” as emergency medical services professionals were “working on Hayden.”

Responding officer Matthew Bryan said he first spoke with Zach at the scene.

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According to TMZ, Zach actually first discovered Hayden sitting in a chair in the living room when he entered the home on Sunday afternoon.

Brian had been asleep in a separate room at the time, the outlet reported.

Hayden, who struggled with opioid and alcohol addiction, was described by the 911 dispatchers as suffering from a cardiac arrest and suspected overdose.

Narcan, a nasal spray used to reverse the effects of opioid overdoses, was discovered on the mattress of the apartment where she was staying, TMZ reported.

Authorities have not determined that an overdose caused Hayden’s death, and the coroner’s findings remain pending.

An autopsy was completed on Monday, and officials said that “no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death.”

First responders initiated cardiac life support measures when they arrived at the scene, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, the statement added.

Hayden’s relationship with Brian was highly volatile, spanning from 2018 until her death, and involved multiple domestic violence arrests, jail time and a rumoured secret reconciliation recently.

The pair began dating in 2018, sparking controversy almost immediately.

Her family and friends were “deeply concerned,” a source told Radar Online in November 2018.

“They do not approve. They are hoping that this is something that she is going to evolve from,” the source said.

The two stayed together, and things went from bad to worse.

Brian was arrested twice – once in 2019 and then in 2020 – for domestic violence.

In May 2019, Brian was arrested for domestic violence after an incident at the actress’ Hollywood home.

Soon after the second incident, Hayden released a statement to her fans about his past arrests.

“I am coming forward with the truth about what happened to me with the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve,” she said.

“I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again.

“I’m grateful for my support system, which helped me find the courage to regain my voice and my life.”

Hayden and Brian kept a low profile during the final years of her life. He was spotted attending her brother Jansen’s funeral by her side in 2023.

He was also seen helping her through a Los Angeles airport while she hobbled on crutches in March of this year.

When the actress released her memoir earlier this year, it was reported that they had split long ago.

But according to TMZ, the couple was fully together and hiding the romance.

“Hayden’s team felt Brian was bad for business,” a source told the outlet.

HAYDEN Panettiere’s estranged mother has broken her silence after the actress’s sudden death at 36.

The Nashville star was found dead in a South Carolina apartment on Sunday afternoon from a suspected overdose.

Lesley Vogel spoke out about her daughter’s death and Hayden’s rekindled relationship with her ex, Brian Hickerson, who was reportedly at the scene when she died.

“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,” Lesley told NBC News on Tuesday.

“I think Hayden was an amazingly talented person in so many departments, and I think young people who grow up in the entertainment industry — it is a struggle, and it’s a very challenging industry, and it’s not unusual for them to sadly find the wrong path,” she added.

Lesley also told the outlet, “I think it becomes very difficult to be true to yourself, and I think Hayden sadly lost her way, and I wish it were different. I wish she had stayed true to herself because she had many incredible attributes.”

“I just feel that she’s with her brother and they’re at peace,” she said, speaking of Hayden’s younger brother Jansen, who died at 28 in February 2023 from an enlarged heart and aortic valve complications.

Hayden confirmed in May that she had not been in contact with her mother for some time.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have a relationship right now,” the Heroes star told Us Weekly while promoting the release of her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.

“But that doesn’t mean that I don’t leave the door open for the opportunity to present itself one day. It’s hard for me to say, but I’ve chosen to be brutally honest.”

Hayden also discussed her difficult relationship with her mother during a sit-down with Jay Shetty on his podcast.

“Everything was business,” the former child star said earlier this year.

“I became the confidant and the assistant and the therapist and the shoulder to cry on and everything but her child.

“I said to her, ’I don’t want us to work together anymore. I just want you to be my mom.’

“I remember being hopeful. But I also wasn’t expecting the reaction that I got, which was, ‘You owe me.’ And that’s all she said. And she walked out.”

Lesley previously addressed the estrangement, claiming it was her choice to distance herself from her daughter.

“After 20 years of trauma, I took the advice of professionals and chose the no-contact route,” Lesley told Page Six after the release of Hayden’s memoir.

“As many parents of entertainment children [know], we are all too familiar with the painful observation of watching the self-destructive paths they sometimes choose.

“No parent hopes for this scenario; we want our children to be the best of themselves and live a peaceful, joyful life!”

Hayden had been spending more time with her off-again, on-again boyfriend, Brian, who was reportedly staying with her at the time of her death.

According to TMZ, the couple were back together but hiding their romance since Hayden’s team found their relationship “bad for business.”

Hayden had opened up about their previous split in her memoir and her other struggles, like addiction, grieving her brother’s unexpected death, as well as her severe postpartum depression.

The Remember the Titans star’s mental health battles led to her giving custody of her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, to her ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko.

Hayden reportedly planned to reunite with Kaya, who lives with her father in Ukraine, before her tragic death.