Panettiere was with on-and-off boyfriend when she died, police report says

▶ Watch Video: Hayden Panettiere was found in cardiac arrest with no signs of foul play

Hayden Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother were at the scene of her death, according to a police report obtained Tuesday by CBS News. The “Heroes” actor, 36, was found dead in a South Carolina apartment on Sunday. 

Panettiere and Brian Hickerson had a tumultuous relationship, including Hickerson being arrested multiple times over alleged abuse, according to Panettiere’s recent memoir and media reports. 

Hickerson and his brother, Zach, made the 911 call that brought first responders to the Greenville, South Carolina, apartment where Panettiere was found unresponsive, the partially redacted police report says. The report is attributed to Officer Matthew Bryan.

Firefighters and EMS were performing CPR on Panettiere when police arrived, Bryan wrote. Panettiere “did not seem to have any obvious physical reasons to be unresponsive,” Bryan said. He wrote that EMS performed life-saving measures “for an extended amount of time before they called a time of death.” He did not specify how long they worked. 

Zach Hickerson told Bryan that Panettiere was Brian Hickerson’s girlfriend, the report says. Bryan said there is CCTV footage showing Panettiere and the Hickersons coming and going from the apartment. 

Bryan said that Zach Hickerson was “very emotional” as EMS worked on Panettiere. Brian Hickerson “did not become emotional until EMS declared her officially deceased,” Bryan wrote. Details of conversations between Bryan and the Hickersons have been redacted. 

At some point, Brian Hickerson showed Bryan “the bag of medication” that Panettiere was “currently on,” according to the report. The list of medications is redacted. 

Panettiere was declared dead at 2:31 p.m., according to the report. Other investigators arrived on the scene, and a search warrant was conducted, Bryan said. 

Panettiere’s death remains under investigation. Police previously said that a preliminary investigation “has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.”

An autopsy was completed Monday, the Greenville County Coroner’s Office said. Her cause and manner of death remain pending until results from the autopsy are returned, which could take up to eight weeks, the office said Tuesday. 

Panettiere’s film and television career spanned more than 30 years. She got her start as a child actor, appearing in films including “Remember the Titans” and “Ice Princess,” before rocketing to fame as a teenager on the hit “Heroes.” She also appeared in the “Scream” horror series and led the TV drama “Nashville,” which earned her two Golden Globe nominations. 

Amid her success on-screen, Panettiere struggled behind the scenes. She has talked openly about an addiction to opioids and alcohol that began in her teens, as well as her struggles with postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter with ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko in 2015. In 2023, her brother Jansen died at 28 from a heart condition. 

In her memoir “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” released in May, Panettiere detailed her upbringing as a child actor, her experiences with addiction and physical abuse, and her recovery. She told CBS News’ Gayle King that she hoped the memoir could help others. 

“I really wanted to share with the world that they don’t have to be afraid. That they can live their truth. They can be imperfect,” she said. Asked how she was doing, she replied, “Still working on myself all the time. I had a great therapist and I’m — I’m better, healthier than I’ve been in a long time.”