Brian Hickerson has spoken publicly about Hayden Panettiere’s death for the first time, one month after the actress died at age 36 in South Carolina.
Hickerson was approached by a photographer at a gas station in Greenville on September 16th and asked how he had been coping since Panettiere’s death. His response was brief: “How do you think I’m doing?”
When the photographer offered condolences, Hickerson replied, “Appreciate it. That’s all I got for you, man.” The exchange, obtained by E! News, marks the first time Hickerson himself has addressed Panettiere’s death directly to the press after previously communicating through an attorney.
Panettiere’s death remain unresolved. Her official cause and manner of death have not been released, toxicology testing remains pending.
Hickerson Had Just Two Brief Responses When Asked About Panettiere
The interaction in Greenville lasted only moments. He answered the question about how he was doing with one of his own before ending the exchange after accepting the photographer’s condolences.
Hickerson was at the Greenville residence where emergency responders tried to save her, but he had not personally spoken to the press about losing her.
His attorney, Sloan Ellis, did issue a statement on his behalf on August 20th. Ellis said Panettiere’s death remained under investigation and that authorities should be allowed to complete that process before additional conclusions were drawn. The attorney also noted the preliminary police finding that investigators had identified no signs of foul play and said Hickerson would not comment further at that time out of respect for Panettiere’s loved ones.
Hickerson and His Brother Were Present When Panettiere Died
Panettiere died August 16th while temporarily staying at a residence in Greenville, one day after traveling from Los Angeles to South Carolina with Hickerson.
According to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office, a 911 call reporting a cardiac arrest came in at approximately 1:51 p.m. First responders found Panettiere unresponsive and in cardiac arrest and administered advanced cardiac life support, but she could not be revived. She was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m.
A police report subsequently confirmed that Brian and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were at the residence. Zach identified Panettiere to officers as Brian’s girlfriend, while Brian showed authorities a “bag of medication” that he said she had been taking before her death, according to records reviewed by E! News.
On September 16th, Panettiere’s representative specifically pushed back against reports claiming a fentanyl-laced pill had definitively caused her death. The representative said toxicology results were still pending and described recent claims attributed to unnamed sources as unverified.
Panettiere Had Spoken About the Difficulty of Leaving an Abusive Relationship
Panettiere’s relationship with Hickerson had been complicated long before the events in South Carolina. The two were first linked in 2018, and their relationship later became the subject of domestic violence proceedings involving Hickerson. In 2021, he pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend and was sentenced to 45 days in county jail, four years of formal probation and 52 domestic violence classes.
Months before her death, Panettiere spoke extensively about surviving an abusive relationship during an appearance on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast while promoting her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.
She described how difficult it could be to leave an abusive cycle permanently, saying there could always seem to be another obligation, unfinished issue or emotional connection that created an opening for the person to return. Panettiere also reflected on her own fear of being alone and the emotional patterns she believed had helped keep her in unhealthy circumstances.
Panettiere Said She Was Single Months Before Her Death
In May 2026, while promoting her memoir, she publicly described herself as single and said, “Right now, I’m my romantic partner.” She was nevertheless photographed with Hickerson during the months surrounding the book’s release.
By August, they were traveling together again. E! News reported that Panettiere flew from Los Angeles to South Carolina with Hickerson on August 15th, the day before she died.
The police report added another piece of information after her death. Zach Hickerson told an officer that Panettiere “was his brother’s girlfriend.”
Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel, was openly critical of Hickerson after her daughter’s death. She told NBC News that Hickerson was someone the family had wanted out of Panettiere’s life and expressed longstanding concern about the renewed connection.
Panettiere Had Been Speaking Openly About Addiction and Recovery
Panettiere had also chosen to speak publicly about addiction and recovery during the months before she died. During a May appearance on Tamron Hall, she discussed the experiences covered in This Is Me: A Reckoning, including addiction, domestic violence and postpartum depression. She had previously described struggles involving alcohol and opioids and multiple periods of treatment.