New details emerge from the day Hayden Panettiere died in South Carolina
Hayden Panettiere Found Dead at Greenville Apartment; Police Report Reveals New Details
Qwenews.com – The actress celebrated for her roles in "Heroes" and "Nashville" was discovered unresponsive on a Sunday afternoon inside a South Carolina apartment complex where she had been staying temporarily. Emergency crews arrived to find her in cardiac arrest and attempted resuscitation, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. She was 36 years old.
According to a coroner's office statement, Panettiere — a California resident — was located at the Greenville residence on Sunday. An autopsy conducted the following Monday found no traumatic injuries contributing to her death, though the official cause and manner remain pending further laboratory testing. Dispatch audio obtained via Broadcastify.com referenced a possible overdose, yet authorities have not confirmed whether one occurred.
What the Police Report Shows
A newly released Greenville police report, made public Tuesday, details the response to the scene. Officers interviewed two men at the apartment: Brian Hickerson, Panettiere's boyfriend, and his brother Zach Hickerson, who said they were the ones that dialed 911.
"I spoke with Zach Hickerson first, he advised this was his brother's girlfriend," the responding officer wrote in the report.
Brian Hickerson presented the officer with a bag containing Panettiere's medications, the report noted. Numerous sections of the document, including the full medication list, have been redacted. CNN has contacted both Hickerson brothers for comment.
A Neighbor's Account
Micah Lee, a resident of the same complex, described his cats behaving erratically on Sunday. He stepped into the hallway and noticed a large gathering of people before retreating into his unit.
"I heard through the door that a person had collapsed," Lee told CNN.
Lee later received an email from the property manager instructing residents to direct all media inquiries to law enforcement. The message stated that residents and community management were not positioned to offer official information about the circumstances.
Family and Former Partner Mourn
Wladimir Klitschko, Panettiere's ex-partner and former world heavyweight boxing champion from Ukraine — also the father of their child — posted on X Tuesday:
"Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief."
He added: "She built an incredible career through immense talent, while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry."
Skip Panettiere, her father, issued a statement through her representative:
"It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. 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."
Her mother, Lesley Vogel, spoke to NBC News through tears on Tuesday, calling her daughter "an amazingly talented person in so many departments." Vogel reflected on the pressures of growing up in entertainment, saying it is "not unusual" for young people in the industry to "sadly find the wrong path." She added: "I just feel that she's with her brother and they're at peace."
Earlier this year, on Jay Shetty's "On Purpose" podcast, Panettiere disclosed that she does not speak with her mother. Now both parents are mourning two children, having previously grieved the loss of Hayden's brother.
A Career Marked by Struggle and Comeback
Panettiere rose to fame in the early 2000s as the indestructible cheerleader on "Heroes" before later portraying a country-music star on "Nashville." She subsequently stepped back from public view while confronting addiction and mental-health challenges, and recently published a memoir detailing those battles. Her death sent waves of grief from Hollywood to Ukraine, where her former partner and their child's father paid tribute to the actress and activist.
CNN has reached out to Vogel and Panettiere's representative for further comment.
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