“I am beyond heartbroken and devastated by this tragic and traumatic loss,” Zach Hickerson said.

Brother of Hayden Panettiere’s boyfriend shares detailed account of her final day, resuscitation attempt

“I am beyond heartbroken and devastated by this tragic and traumatic loss,” Zach Hickerson said.

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

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August 21, 2026 7:03 p.m. ET

Hayden Panettiere in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 12, 2014. Credit:

Angela Weiss/Getty

- Zach Hickerson, the brother of Hayden Panettiere’s boyfriend Brian Hickerson, shared a detailed account of the last day of her life.

- Zach said that his brother administered Narcan to the actress while she was unconscious.

-  “I am beyond heartbroken and devastated by this tragic and traumatic loss,” he said.

A close friend of Hayden Panettiere is sharing his perspective on the final day of her life.

Zach Hickerson — the brother of the *Heroes* star’s on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson — shared a lengthy statement about what he allegedly saw in the moments leading up to the actress’ death on Sunday at 36.

“There are a lot of assumptions, speculations and accusations currently swirling,” Zach told TMZ on Friday. “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.”

Zach said that he wanted to “clarify my involvement” in the situation “in effort to keep the focus on the fact that we lost one of the most precious individuals on this earth,” adding that he hopes we can “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.”

Zach said that he went to church on Sunday morning and “exchanged messages” with his brother on the way to the service. He said that he planned to meet his sibling and Panettiere for lunch and indoor golf after church.

“When I left church I called and texted both of them,” he said. “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.”

Zach indicated that neither Brian nor Panettiere was awake when he arrived at their Airbnb in Greenville, S.C. “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.”

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Zach said that he and Brian “tried to wake Hayden up for lunch” and “realized she was unconscious,” leading the brothers to leap into action.

He said that he “immediately called 911” while “Brian gave her Narcan,” the nasal spray designed to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

“We then jointly performed CPR while 911 was on speaker until Fire and EMS arrived,” he said. “At that point we watched as they tried every measure possible to save her life.”

Zach ended his statement with a tribute to Panettiere. “I am beyond heartbroken and devastated by this tragic and traumatic loss. Hayden was one of my dearest and closest friends that I loved and cared about for the last eight years,” he said. “Out of respect for her loved ones, the speculation and sensationalism of her death needs to end until the facts can be released from the investigation.”

** has reached out to Brian Hickerson’s attorney for comment.

Brian Hickerson and Hayden Panettiere.

Eric Charbonneau/Shutterstock

Officials discussed an apparent “overdose” while treating Panettiere, according to a 911 call obtained by PEOPLE. First responders found her “unresponsive” and “in cardiac arrest” at approximately 1:51 p.m., and she was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m. on Sunday. A spokesperson for the Greenville Police Department said that an “acquaintance” of the actress called 911 in a statement to PEOPLE, noting that there were no “signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.”

A coroner’s report stated that “the cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies,” and that “this investigation remains active and ongoing.” The results of Panettiere’s toxicology report could take eight weeks to come through.

Brian’s attorney shared a brief statement with TMZ on Thursday. “Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed...As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play,” attorney Sloan Ellis said. “Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.”

In a police report obtained by EW, responding officer Matthew Bryan said that Zach was “very emotional” as EMS professionals treated Panettiere. The report claimed that Brian did not become visibly emotional until officials declared the actress dead, and claimed that the *Nashville* star’s boyfriend showed police a “bag of medication” she was taking at the time of her death.

Panettiere dated Brian, a real estate developer and aspiring actor, on-and-off from 2018 to 2021. Their romance began after the *Scream* actress ended her engagement to Wladimir Klitschko, with whom she shares her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya. Panettiere and Brian were last seen in public together in March at LAX, according to PEOPLE.

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Brian was arrested several times for domestic violence allegations throughout their relationship. He served 33 of 45 days in jail after pleading no contest to two felony counts of injuring a significant other in 2021, and received a five-year restraining order.

Panettiere detailed Brian’s abuse in her memoir earlier this year. He responded by acknowledging his abusive behavior in an interview with TMZ. “Never in my life did I ever get taught what domestic violence was, right?” he said. “Maybe if I did at an early age, maybe I wouldn’t have done what I did. We don’t know.”

*If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at **1-800-799-7233**, or go to **thehotline.org**. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.*

*If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at **988lifeline.org** 24/7.*

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