Hayden Panettiere Found Dead in South Carolina Apartment

Hayden Panettiere’s on-and-off partner Brian Hickerson and his sibling Zach Hickerson were present at the South Carolina apartment where the actress was found deceased over the weekend, as per a police report unveiled on Tuesday. A Greenville police officer, who arrived at the residence on Sunday afternoon, encountered the Hickerson brothers and witnessed paramedics administering CPR to an unresponsive woman. The report mentioned that there were no apparent physical causes for her unresponsiveness. Despite efforts to revive her, Panettiere was pronounced dead at 2:31 p.m. No specific cause of death has been established, and the investigation is ongoing. A postmortem examination revealed no signs of physical harm, and law enforcement officials stated there were no indications of foul play. The actress, aged 36, had a tumultuous relationship with Brian Hickerson, with allegations of physical abuse against him. In 2020, Hickerson faced charges of felony abuse and eventually admitted to two counts of injuring a spouse or partner, leading to a short jail term. Subsequently, he was placed on four years of probation and mandated to attend anger management and Alcoholics Anonymous sessions. Hickerson recently petitioned to have his conviction reduced to misdemeanors, a request denied by a Los Angeles judge on Thursday. The police report, extensively censored, noted that Zach Hickerson identified the unresponsive woman as his brother’s girlfriend. The officer described Zach as visibly emotional during the emergency response, with Brian displaying emotion only after her official declaration of death. Following her passing, the officer escorted the Hickerson brothers out of the apartment, engaging in a more detailed conversation with Brian, the specifics of which were redacted from the report. Additionally, a list of Panettiere’s medications was redacted. Panettiere’s former fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko, released a statement expressing shock and grief over her sudden demise. Klitschko, a Ukrainian boxer and father of their daughter Kaya, emphasized Panettiere’s significance in his life despite their separation in 2018. The couple welcomed Kaya in 2014, with Panettiere granting full custody to Klitschko due to her struggles with addiction and postpartum depression. Klitschko urged respect for their family’s privacy during this challenging period and cherished the memories shared with Panettiere. Panettiere, who would have turned 37 soon, openly discussed her personal challenges, including early fame, addiction, and postpartum depression in her recently published memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning.” In a podcast interview earlier this year, she clarified misconceptions about her custody arrangement for Kaya, emphasizing her continued involvement in her daughter’s life. The entertainment industry continues to mourn Panettiere’s passing, with co-stars and colleagues expressing their grief and admiration for her talent and spirit. Tributes and condolences have flooded in from various quarters, celebrating Panettiere’s contributions to television and film before her untimely death.