Federal agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration have joined an investigation into the death of actress Hayden Panettiere, who died from cardiac arrest at a rented residence in South Carolina while accompanied by her ex-partner Brian Hickerson.
The star of the television drama Nashville had traveled from Los Angeles to South Carolina with Hickerson shortly before her death, according to press reports in the United States and statements from her mother, actress Lesley Vogel.
Emergency services were called to the temporary residence in Greenville County after Hickerson and his brother Zack found Panettiere unconscious. According to an extensive report by The New York Times, federal authorities are examining whether an overdose triggered the fatal cardiac arrest.
Audio from an online broadcast of the Greenville County Fire and Emergency Management Department, recorded around the time and location of the incident, captured a first responder mentioning a suspected overdose and stating that cardiopulmonary resuscitation was in progress.
Federal Investigation and Emergency Response
Official documents cited by The New York Times confirmed Hickerson was present at the scene and showed a police officer a bag containing medications Panettiere had been taking. Specific details regarding the names and dosages of the prescription drugs were redacted from official reports.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the federal agency responsible for enforcing controlled substance laws across the United States, joined local authorities to inspect the circumstances surrounding the prescription drugs present at the scene.
Reports of federal involvement emerged alongside details published by entertainment news outlet TMZ, which shared text messages allegedly sent by Hickerson threatening the actress. In those messages, Hickerson reportedly warned that even if he spent ten years in a prison cell, materials stored overseas with his associates would be released as soon as he entered custody.
History of Domestic Abuse
Panettiere was involved in an unstable relationship with Hickerson between 2018 and 2020 that ended following domestic violence allegations. In her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, the actress recounted an episode in which Hickerson injured her face so severely that she was unable to leave her home for weeks, writing that a person never forgets the first time someone slaps them, nor the last time.
In May of this year, Hickerson publicly acknowledged during an interview that he was the person described in her memoir. He admitted that he had been drinking heavily during the relationship, became violent toward Panettiere, and was arrested by law enforcement.
Speaking to NBC after her daughter's death, Lesley Vogel expressed grief over the presence of her daughter's former partner. Vogel said that the individual whom the family had been trying to remove from her life for a long time was present at the moment of her death.
Family Statements and Career Struggles
Vogel also discussed Panettiere's long-standing personal battles, noting that her daughter had suffered from postpartum depression and had previously entered a rehabilitation facility to treat an addiction to opioids. Vogel told NBC that her daughter had strayed from her path, wishing circumstances had been different and that Panettiere had stayed true to herself given her incredible qualities. She added that it is common for young people growing up in the demanding entertainment industry to lose their way.
Following her death, Panettiere's former partner Wladimir Klitschko published a tribute honoring her memory. Klitschko wrote that the actress built an extraordinary career through immense talent while confronting the darker sides of a demanding industry, adding that nothing would erase their shared moments or her place in their lives.
Klitschko, who took over primary custody of their daughter Kaya after Panettiere relinquished her rights to protect the child's privacy, said he would always speak of her with respect so that their daughter remembers the person her mother was.
