Brian Hickerson, the on-off boyfriend of actress Hayden Panettiere, has reportedly spoken with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as part of the federal investigation into her suspected overdose death, a source told TMZ.
Hickerson was at the condo in Greenville, South Carolina, when Panettiere was pronounced dead. Local and federal investigators reportedly believe someone sold the actress drugs that may have caused her death, and authorities are said to be "zeroing in" on a potential dealer, according to the source.
Investigators are still waiting on toxicology results to determine Panettiere's official cause of death.
Found dead at 36
Panettiere, best known for playing cheerleader Claire Bennet in the NBC series Heroes, was found dead at 36 of a suspected overdose at the Greenville residence on August 16. No one has been arrested in connection with her death, and Greenville Police and the county coroner's office are running parallel investigations. The Daily Mail has reached out to Hickerson's representatives for comment.
DEA's involvement and the Narcan found on scene
The DEA's involvement lines up with paramedics who reported a suspected overdose over dispatch calls. First responders located Narcan, a nasal spray used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, inside the apartment where Panettiere was found.
Panettiere had battled alcohol and opiate addiction for years. She spent eight months in rehab in 2020 after contracting jaundice, writing in her memoir that her doctor told her, "if I didn't stop drinking, I'd be dead within five years."
What happened at the scene
Hickerson was on the scene along with his brother Zachary when Panettiere was pronounced dead, according to a police report. Her autopsy found "no signs of trauma" that "would have contributed to the death." After she was declared dead, Hickerson is said to have handed authorities a "bag of medication" she had been taking, the report states.
While Zachary was reportedly "very emotional" during attempts to revive Panettiere, Hickerson is claimed to have remained impassive until she was declared dead.
Daughter's custody
In 2018, Panettiere voluntarily gave up custody of her daughter, Kaya, now 11, to focus on her recovery. Kaya was placed in the care of her father, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko, with whom Panettiere kept an amicable co-parenting relationship. The Daily Mail has also exclusively reported that Panettiere was the subject of romance rumors with Zachary, a pastor, for a brief period in 2019, after the pair were seen walking hand in hand in New York that September and a witness described them as resembling a "real couple."
Mother questions Hickerson's account
Panettiere's mother, Lesley Vogel, told the Daily Mail in an hour-long interview that she believed Hickerson's account of her daughter's death was "full of holes." Vogel said she had pressured South Carolina law enforcement to investigate and described Hickerson and Panettiere as having a toxic "codependent bond" that was "much more powerful than people realized."
History of domestic violence charges
Hickerson was first arrested in Los Angeles on a domestic violence charge in May 2019 and released on bail. He pleaded not guilty to one count of felony domestic violence, and the case was dismissed that September.
The following year, on Valentine's Day, Hickerson was arrested for domestic battery in Wyoming after a physical altercation with a woman later identified as Panettiere. He pleaded not guilty that April. In July 2020, Panettiere obtained a restraining order against him, saying publicly that she hoped others would be inspired to walk away from abusive partners.
Three months later, Hickerson was arrested on seven felony charges and one misdemeanor stemming from alleged incidents between May 2019 and January 2020, including a count of dissuading a witness from prosecuting a crime. At a February 2021 preliminary hearing in Wyoming, prosecutors read aloud text messages and videos allegedly sent by Hickerson to Panettiere. He ultimately pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend, with the other six counts dropped, and was sentenced to 45 days in jail, four years' probation, $500 in fines and mandatory domestic violence classes.
Her sobriety and their relationship status
Panettiere said she began taking "happy pills" as early as age 15, and her addiction worsened amid postpartum depression before her 2020 rehab stint. She later described her sobriety as an "everyday battle," though the state of her sobriety on the day of her death is unclear. A redacted incident report from her death referred to Panettiere as Hickerson's "girlfriend."
Recent months
In March, the couple were photographed traveling together at Los Angeles Airport. Two months later, Hickerson made a series of statements to TMZ about his past abuse and his hopes of one day marrying Panettiere. "Man, I mean, I think it speaks for itself... I got arrested for abusing her," he said in May.
"And I wouldn't blame her friends for being pissed off at me... I had a lot to drink and I got physical with her. I got arrested. I spent the night in jail and that's just what happens when you lay hands on women," Hickerson said.
Petition to clear his record denied
Court documents obtained by the Daily Mail show Hickerson had petitioned the Los Angeles County Superior Court to reduce his felony convictions to misdemeanors. Under his probation terms, he was required to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings at least once a week and complete 26 anger management sessions. Hickerson completed his probation on August 1 and asked the court to expunge the charges, but a Los Angeles judge denied the petition on August 13.
Three days later, Panettiere was found dead in the Greenville apartment. According to a recording of the 911 call obtained by the Daily Mail, she was described as "unresponsive" and in "cardiac arrest" after a suspected overdose.
