Hayden Panettiere’s estranged mother has issued her first public statement since the actor’s death, slamming her ex-partner who is understood to have been in the apartment when she died.
Panettiere, 36, was at an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina, when she went into cardiac arrest and died on Sunday.
Her on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother Zach were reportedly at the scene when the Heroes star died.
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Panettiere’s mother Lesley Vogel spoke out on Tuesday.
“This person in her life that we have been trying to get rid of for quite some time was with her at her death, and that was Brian Hickerson,” Vogel told NBC News.
In Panettiere’s recently released memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, the actress describes instances of alleged domestic violence from her ex-partner.
In one instance, Panettiere alleged Hickerson assaulted her to such a degree that she did not leave the house for weeks. She wrote that she hesitated to report the event for fear of the public finding out.
Hayden Panettiere and on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson in 2019. Credit: gotpap/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images Hayden Panettiere’s mother Lesley Vogel said she had been trying to ‘get rid’ of Hickerson for some time. Credit: George Napolitano/FilmMagic Hickerson was arrested on May 2, 2019, based on an allegation of injuring a spouse or girlfriend, according to Los Angeles County criminal court records.
He pleaded no contest on April 20, 2021, and was sentenced the next year to four years’ probation.
Panettiere requested a restraining order against Hickerson on July 14, 2020. The court docket reviewed by NBC News does not identify the victim in the case of injuring a spouse or girlfriend, and the outcome of the request for a restraining order is unclear from the case record.
In a statement in 2020, Panettiere said she was going public about the abuse to inspire others in abusive relationships to seek help.
“I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again,” Panettiere said at the time.
Panettiere now at peace with brother Vogul also said her “amazingly talented” daughter was now at peace.
“I think Hayden was an amazingly talented person in so many departments and I think young people who grow up in the entertainment industry…it is a struggle and it’s a very challenging industry and it’s not unusual for them to sadly find the wrong path,” Vogel said.
Actress Hayden Panettiere and her brother Jansen Panettiere in 2011. Credit: Dan Steinberg/AP Photo/Dan Steinberg Vogel said her son and Panettiere’s younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, who died suddenly at the age of 28 in 2023, was now with her daughter.
“I just feel that she’s with her brother and they’re at peace,” she said.
The coroner’s office said Panettiere’s cause of death is still currently under investigation.
An autopsy found no signs of trauma that would have contributed to her death, with further tests underway.
— With NBC News
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au.
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Advice and counselling for men concerned about their use of family violence: Men’s Referral Service, 1300 766 491.