Hayden Panettiere's abusive boyfriend and his brother were with her when she died

An incident report from actress Hayden Panettiere's suspected overdose reveals that her on-again-off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother were with her when she died. A 911 call brought first responders to the scene of a Greenville, South Carolina Airbnb on Saturday afternoon. EMS personnel attempted to revive her, but those efforts were unsuccessful.

Narcan was found in the residence and a coroner's report stated: "An autopsy was completed today. At autopsy, no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death," said the Coroner's Office. "This investigation remains active and ongoing. No further details are available for release at this time."

Hickerson had pleaded no contest to two felony counts in April 2021 for domestic violence against Panettiere over the near-year period from May 2019 to January 2020. This included an incident in which he punched her in the face with a closed fist.

Hickerson recently asked a judge to reduce those felony charges, but the judge determined that the charges should stand. He's been trying to get those reduced for over a year, to no avail. Panettiere wrote about the abuse she suffered in her memoir "This is Me: A Reckoning." 

Hickerson spoke to TMZ about his relationship with Panettiere just months before her death. He said Panettiere "is the sweetest thing in the world. It's not about who you spend Saturday night with. It's who you spend all day Sunday with. And Hayden Panettiere is a Sunday girl."

When asked if he thought Panettiere was better off without him, Hickerson said, "I think that Hayden is one of the most talented people I've ever met in my life, and I would be an idiot not to walk away from her and let her flourish in her career. So we probably wouldn't be good together. I'd like to see what she's gonna do with the next like 30 years of her career, and she's, you know, she'll always hold a special place in my heart, and you know I hope the same for her. But yeah, just good buddies."

Panettiere had been candid in interviews about her attempts to break up with Hickerson, noting that it's not easy to break up with someone you care for despite abuse. Friends reporting to Page Six said that she had not told them, however, that Hickerson was back in her life.

"If you've gone through some dark times with people, and spoken about it," the source said, "then there can be shame if you get back together with that same person. So maybe that was she hadn't mentioned it to us."

The two got together in 2018, but by July 2019 there was an order of protection against Hickerson from Panettiere. She wrote about the relationship on Instagram, saying "I am coming forward with the truth about what happened to me with the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve."

"I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again. I’m grateful for my support system, which helped me find the courage to regain my voice and my life," she said.