Zach Hickerson, the brother of Hayden Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson, has spoken publicly for the first time about the hours surrounding the actress’ sudden death.
Panettiere, known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville, sadly died on August 16 at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina.
Now, Zach has shared what happened after he arrived at the Airbnb where the 36-year-old and his brother had been staying.
“There are a lot of assumptions, speculations and accusations currently swirling,” Zach told TMZ.
“The truth will come out as the authorities complete and release additional details from the investigation. And that is important because the people who loved and adored Hayden deserve the truth,” he added.
He continued: “At this time, I want to clarify my involvement in effort to keep the focus on the fact that we lost one of the most precious individuals on this earth and to allow those that cared about her to mourn without additional noise, chaos and misinformation being created and propagated by the media as well as the public.”
Hayden Panettiere has sadly passed away at the age of just 36. Credit: XNY/Star Max/GC Images
Zach reveals what happened that morning
According to Zach, the three had planned to spend Sunday afternoon together after he attended church.
“On Sunday morning, I woke up at my Airbnb, got dressed and went to Church. I exchanged messages that morning with Brian on my way. We planned on us all getting lunch and playing indoor golf after the service,” he explained.
However, after church, he was unable to get hold of either Panettiere or Brian.
“When I left church, I called and texted both of them. When I didn’t reach Brian or Hayden, I just assumed maybe they fell back asleep, so I drove over and went to the Airbnb. When I got there, I knew the code to the building but not the door code to the AirBnb,” he said.
Zach said he began knocking on the door, which woke his brother.
“I knocked loudly, which apparently woke Brian up from a nap they were both taking on the pull-out couch bed in the living room. When we went in and tried to wake Hayden up for lunch, we realized she was unconscious,” he continued.
What followed was an attempt to save Panettiere while emergency services were on their way.
“I immediately called 911, and Brian gave her Narcan. We then jointly performed CPR while 911 was on speaker until Fire and EMS arrived. At that point, we watched as they tried every measure possible to save her life,” he claimed.
The fact that Narcan was administered does not establish Panettiere’s cause of death, which has not been determined.
Police report details emergency response
A heavily redacted Greenville Police Department incident report states that first responders were called at around 1:50 p.m. following a report of an unresponsive woman.
Officer Matthew Bryan wrote that he was met at the residence by both Zach and Brian.
Per Bryan’s account, Zach was “very emotional while EMS were working on Hayden,” as emergency personnel continued CPR and cardiac interventions.
Panettiere was pronounced dead at 2:31 p.m.
The reports also state that Brian gave police a bag containing medications Panettiere had been taking. The names of the medications were redacted.
Hayden Panettiere and ex-boyfriend Brian Hickerson had a tumultuous relationship. Credit: MEGA/GC Images
Cause of death remains undetermined
An autopsy has been completed, with the Greenville County Coroner’s Office reporting no signs of physical trauma or foul play.
However, Panettiere’s official cause and manner of death remain pending toxicology results.
The investigation into her death is ongoing, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has joined local police in examining substances found at the location.
Brian previously addressed the investigation through his lawyer, saying in part that “it is important to allow that investigation to proceed”.
Panettiere’s father, Skip, confirmed his daughter’s death in a statement to ABC News.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” he said. “She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her – and to the millions who watched her onscreen.”
