What to Know About Hayden Panettiere's Final Hours, Investigation

Hayden Panettiere Identified as Brian Hickerson's Girlfriend in Death ReportHayden Panettiere's loved ones and peers are looking for answers. The actress died in Greenville, South Carolina, on Aug. 16, with the city’s coroner noting in his report that emergency medical services were unable to resuscitate her after finding her in cardiac arrest. And though audio from the 911 dispatch call obtained by multiple outlets features responders discussing an apparent overdose, the official cause and manner of death have yet to be released pending further investigation. After Panettiere’s sudden passing, tributes poured in from several of her former costars, including Connie Britton from Nashville, James Kyson from Heroes, Solange from Bring It On: All or Nothing and Kim Cattrall from Ice Princess. Meanwhile, those who worked alongside her more recently, like Justin Chatwin from her final film Sleepwalker, provided insight into how she was doing in the run-up to her death. "I could tell she was struggling, and I was like, 'I don’t think it’s this movie,'" he told People of their time on set in 2025 in an interview Aug. 17. “There’s a handful of women that I’ve worked with that I really liked, and I really loved working with her, but I also know that she was really lonely."It was a sentiment shared by director Griff Furst, who worked with the "insanely talented" Panettiere on the 2025 movie A Breed Apart. "Hayden was incredibly sweet and gracious and excited to work," he said in an Aug.17 Instagram video, "but she was not OK."Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty ImagesIn recent years, Panettiere openly detailed her personal struggles, including her battle with addiction, mental health journey and grief over her late brother Jansen Panettiere. However, she’d expressed how proud she was of how far she’d come. “In this life, I’ve laughed, cried, and made mistakes,” she wrote in her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, released in May. “I’ve loved deeply, sometimes too much, but it’s who I am. My life is mine to show up for every day, and I do it humbly and with a full heart. Radical acceptance has taught me to walk hand in hand with my triumphs and my tragedies because they’ve made me who I am. And today, I really love that person.” While questions remain as the investigation into Panettiere’s death continues, read what authorities have shared so far.Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty ImagesWhen Did Hayden Panettiere Die?Hayden Panettiere died in Greenville, South Carolina, on Aug. 16. She was 36.Roy Rochlin/FilmMagicHow Did Hayden Panettiere Die?After receiving a 911 call at around 1:51 p.m. on Aug. 16, first responders and emergency medical services arrived at a residence in Greenville and found a woman—later identified as Panettiere—in cardiac arrest, according to a release shared by the Greenville County Coroner’s Office the following day. While "advanced cardiac life support measures" were provided, the release continued, the "resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful" as Panettiere was unresponsive. The actress was pronounced dead at the scene a little after 2:30 p.m.In audio of the emergency dispatch call obtained by CNN and TMZ, EMS responders can be heard discussing an apparent overdose. However, the official cause and manner of death have yet to be released as the coroner's office and Greenville City Police Department continue their investigations.Jon Kopaloff/Getty ImagesWhat Has Hayden Panettiere's Autopsy Revealed So Far?In its Aug. 17 release, the coroner's office confirmed an autopsy was completed and that "no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death" of the Heroes star.Eric Charbonneau/ShutterstockWho Was With Hayden Panettiere When She Died?The Greenville City Police Department noted in its Aug. 17 release that "an acquaintance of Ms. Panettiere placed the 911 call," with a redacted police report obtained by E! listing both Brian Hickerson—her on-again, off-again boyfriend since 2018— and his brother Zach Hickerson as the ones to call 911.Zach later told officers investigating Panettiere's death that she was Brian's girlfriend, according to Greenville City PD's report. Police noted in an Aug. 16 release that "the preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances" around her death.gotpap/Bauer-Griffin/GC ImagesHow Did Brian Hickerson and Zach Hickerson React to Hayden Panettiere's Death?In the police report, an officer noted Zach was "very emotional while EMS were working on" Panettiere, though "Brian did not become emotional until EMS declared her officially deceased."E! News has reached out to Zach and to Brian's attorneys for comment but has yet to hear back.While police told People officers "responded to a call for a welfare check at a home belonging to Brian Hickerson’s family" on Aug. 19, they noted "the call is unrelated to the Hayden Panettiere death investigation and did not require an incident report."Jon Kopaloff/Getty ImagesWhat Has Hayden Panettiere's Family Said About Her Death?After Panettiere died, her father Skip Panettiere told ABC News 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."Two days later, her mother Lesley Vogel broke her silence. "This person in her life that we have been trying to get rid of for quite some time was with her at her death," she told NBC News Aug. 18, "and that was Brian Hickerson." While Panettiere—whose brother Jansen died in 2023 at ae 28—and her mom had publicly spoken about their estrangement, Vogel remembered her daughter as "an amazingly talented person in so many departments.""I think young people who grow up in the entertainment industry—it is a struggle and it’s a very challenging industry," she added, "and it’s not unusual for them to sadly find the wrong path."Additionally, her ex Wladimir Klitschko addressed his "profound shock and grief" he and their daughter Kaya were facing in the wake of Panettiere's death. The Ukranian boxer further vowed to keep the Nashville alum's legacy alive in Kaya's memory.For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App