Was Hayden Panettiere struggling on set? Director reveals troubling details about her final months with Brian Hickerson by her side

Hayden Panettiere’s final years have come under renewed scrutiny following the actress’s death at 36, with director Griff Furst recalling a troubling experience from the set of her 2025 film A Breed Apart.

Furst, who directed Panettiere alongside his brother Nathan Furst, said he immediately sensed something was wrong when the actress arrived for production. According to his account, members of the film’s security team had already expressed concerns after collecting Panettiere from the airport.

The filmmaker said he later went to greet Panettiere and her then on and off boyfriend Brian Hickerson. Furst recalled that Hickerson opened the door, while Panettiere remained warm and enthusiastic about the project despite appearing visibly unwell.

"I knew that she was insanely talented, so when she signed on to do this picture we were shooting, I was psyched," Furst said in an Instagram video.

Furst said he had worked with many performers during his career and believed it was apparent that Panettiere was struggling when he met her on set. He described the atmosphere around her as "pretty dark", while deliberately avoiding speculation about the specific reasons for her condition.

The comments have gained attention because of Panettiere’s complicated history with Hickerson. The pair began dating in 2018 and had an on and off relationship that continued into the early 2020s. Panettiere previously accused Hickerson of physical and emotional abuse during their relationship.

Hickerson pleaded no contest in 2021 to two felony counts involving injury to a spouse, cohabitant, girlfriend or child’s parent. He served 33 days of a 45 day county jail sentence. Other charges connected to earlier allegations were dropped as part of the sentencing process.

Panettiere later spoke publicly about the relationship and the effect it had on her. In 2026, she discussed her experiences in her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, describing the humiliation she felt while dealing with an abusive relationship.

Furst said he had hoped Panettiere was beginning to recover after seeing her promote the memoir and discuss her life publicly. He also revealed that they had spoken about potentially working together again, making her death particularly difficult for him.

The director described Panettiere as "a force to be reckoned with" and said the talent he had admired was still evident during production, even though he felt there was something making it harder to reach her.

Panettiere died on August 16, 2026, at an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina. Police have said the preliminary investigation has not indicated foul play or suspicious circumstances, while the official cause of death remains subject to the ongoing investigation.

Hickerson was reportedly present at the scene following Panettiere’s death. His presence has drawn renewed attention because of their history, although his presence alone does not establish any connection to her death.

Panettiere was widely known for her performances as Claire Bennet in Heroes and Juliette Barnes in Nashville. She also returned as Kirby Reed in Scream VI and appeared in A Breed Apart, which was released in 2025.