A South Carolina Airbnb became the scene of actress Hayden Panettiere‘s final moments last Saturday, according to a newly surfaced incident report.
The document places her boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother inside the rental property at the time paramedics were called.
Emergency crews rushed to the Greenville residence after a 911 call reported a medical crisis. Panettiere, 36, was unresponsive when first responders arrived.
Despite resuscitation attempts on scene, she could not be revived and was pronounced dead.
Investigators searching the property found a supply of Narcan, a medication administered to counteract opioid overdoses.
Its presence has become a focal point in speculation surrounding a possible overdose, though authorities have stopped short of naming an official cause.
The Coroner’s Office issued a statement after conducting an autopsy on the actress.
“An autopsy was completed today. At autopsy, no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death,” the office reported.
The statement continued: “This investigation remains active and ongoing. No further details are available for release at this time.”
Toxicology results have not yet been made public, and investigators say the case is still open. Officials have given no timeline for when a definitive cause of death will be announced.
Hickerson’s presence in the home draws scrutiny in light of his criminal record involving Panettiere.
He pleaded no contest to two felony domestic violence charges in April 2021, tied to a pattern of abuse investigators say unfolded between May 2019 and January 2020.
One documented incident from that period involved Hickerson punching Panettiere in the face with a closed fist, according to court records connected to his conviction.
For more than a year, Hickerson has pushed to have his felony record reduced.
A judge rejected his most recent attempt just days before Panettiere’s death, ruling that the original charges would stand as filed.
Panettiere later chronicled the abuse in her published memoir, “This is Me: A Reckoning,” giving her own detailed account of the relationship’s darkest period.
Months before she died, Hickerson sat down with TMZ to discuss his bond with the actress.
He praised her warmly, telling the outlet she “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.”
Pressed on whether Panettiere’s life would be better without him in it, Hickerson gave an extended answer.
“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.”
Despite those remarks, the two had reportedly reconciled before her death — a detail Panettiere apparently withheld from close friends.
Sources told Page Six that she never mentioned Hickerson’s return to her life, even to people she confided in regularly.
One source close to the actress offered an explanation for the silence.
“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.”
Panettiere had spoken candidly in past interviews about the emotional difficulty of leaving Hickerson, describing how affection can complicate the decision to walk away from an abusive partner.
The relationship began in 2018 and unraveled publicly by the following July, when Panettiere secured an order of protection against Hickerson through the courts.
At the time, she turned to Instagram to describe what she had endured.
“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,” she wrote.
She followed with a pledge to prevent further harm from Hickerson.
“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.
Investigators have not indicated whether Hickerson’s presence in the Airbnb will factor into any further legal action.
The case remains classified as active, with officials promising updates as the investigation progresses.
No arrests have been announced in connection with Panettiere’s death as of this report.
