Hayden Panettiere’s boyfriend’s brother recounts actress’ final day and resuscitation attempt

Zach Hickerson, the brother of Hayden Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson, has shared a detailed account of the actress’ final day, describing how he and Brian found her unconscious and attempted to save her life before emergency responders arrived.

Zach said he had planned to meet Brian and Panettiere for lunch and indoor golf after attending church on Sunday. When he could not reach either of them, he drove to the Greenville, South Carolina, Airbnb where they were staying.

According to Zach, Brian was initially asleep when he arrived and woke after Zach knocked loudly. The brothers then tried to wake Panettiere for lunch but realised that she was unconscious. Zach said he immediately called 911 while Brian administered Narcan, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses.

The brothers then performed CPR together while waiting for emergency responders.

"We then jointly performed CPR while 911 was on speaker until Fire and EMS arrived," Zach said in a statement shared with TMZ. "At that point we watched as they tried every measure possible to save her life."

Panettiere was pronounced dead at 2:32 pm on Sunday at age 36. First responders had found her unresponsive and in cardiac arrest at approximately 1:51 pm. Officials had discussed an apparent overdose while treating her, according to a 911 call obtained by People.

However, her cause and manner of death have not been officially determined. The coroner has said the investigation remains active and that additional studies, including toxicology testing, are still pending. Results could take approximately eight weeks. Police have said there were no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.

Zach said he decided to speak publicly because he wanted to clarify his involvement and push back against the speculation surrounding Panettiere’s death.

"There are a lot of assumptions, speculations and accusations currently swirling," he said, adding that "the truth will come out as the authorities complete and release additional details from the investigation."

He also described Panettiere as one of his closest friends, saying he had known and cared about her for eight years.

"I am beyond heartbroken and devastated by this tragic and traumatic loss," Zach said. He urged people to stop speculating about her death until investigators have released more information.

The account comes days after details from the police report surrounding Panettiere’s death emerged. According to that report, Brian showed officers a bag containing medication that Panettiere had been taking. A responding officer also described Zach as visibly emotional while emergency personnel attempted to revive the actress.

Panettiere and Brian had a complicated history. The pair dated on and off from 2018 to 2021, and Panettiere previously accused him of physical and emotional abuse. Brian was arrested multiple times during their relationship and served 33 days of a 45-day jail sentence after pleading no contest to two felony counts of injuring a significant other in 2021. He was also given a five-year restraining order.

Panettiere detailed the abuse in her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, published earlier this year. Brian later acknowledged his abusive behaviour in an interview, saying he had committed the acts she described.

Despite their past, Brian's attorney said following Panettiere’s death that there would be no further comment while the investigation continued.

For now, authorities have not established what caused Panettiere’s death. Zach's account provides new details about the efforts made to revive her, but the official investigation and pending toxicology results will ultimately determine what happened.