Hayden Panettiere’s Neighbor Details Calling Police on Brian Hickerson

Aug 21, 2026 - 19:13

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New information has emerged regarding Hayden Panettiere’s relationship with Brian Hickerson.

Following the Heroes star’s death on Aug. 16 at the age of 36, Panettiere’s West Hollywood, Calif., neighbor Mia Terrazas detailed the fear she felt in the presence of the actress’ on-again-off-again boyfriend.

Panettiere’s cause of death has not been determined, although authorities have confirmed she suffered an apparent overdose and have ruled out foul play during the preliminary investigation.

Police also stated Hickerson was present at the South Carolina apartment complex where Panettiere was found unresponsive.

“There were times where he ripped apart her bathroom,” Terrazas told Inside Edition in an interview published Aug. 19, “where he just took a sledgehammer at five in the morning.”

“I was terrified of him, and I have a concealed carry,” she added, “so that's saying a lot. I was terrified.”

Terrazas said she also saw a difference in Panettiere’s personality when she was with Hickerson versus when she was alone.

“She was always such a bright light when she was by herself,” Terrazas told the outlet. “When she was with Brian, she was so subdued and seemed almost like a different person.”

E! News reached out to Hickerson’s lawyer regarding Terrazas’ allegations but has not received a comment.

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Terrazas said she called police at least six times to report disturbances inside Panettiere’s West Hollywood apartment.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department West Hollywood Sergeant Clarence Chapman confirmed to E! News there were seven calls made to police, not 911 calls. The unidentified callers reported a potential “trespassing issue,” Chapman stated, where Hickerson was "wandering around" the area and was either trying to look for Panettiere or get into the apartment.

Police responded, but Chapman said there were no arrests associated with any of the calls and it was “determined there was no crime.”

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Chapman confirmed there were two calls placed on Aug. 4, 2025, two calls on Aug. 8, 2025, one call on Aug. 27, 2025, another on Sept. 8, 2025 and the final call on Sept. 10, 2025.

In an Aug. 20 statement to E! News, his attorney Sloan Ellis noted it was “important to allow that investigation” in Panettiere’s death to proceed, adding, “As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play. Out of respect for Hayden's loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time."

The Remember the Titans star—who shared 11-year-old daughter Kaya with ex Wladimir Klitschko—had a complicated relationship with Hickerson, who had served a month in jail for a 2020 assault on Panettiere.

But as she’d told The New York Times about their relationship in 2023, “There are feelings there, yes.”

However, she was adamant that any romance between the two was “contingent on him continuing this road of recovery,” noting that she did not let him back into her life “lightly.”

For more information about the investigation into Panettiere’s death, keep reading.

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When Did Hayden Panettiere Die?

Hayden Panettiere died in Greenville, South Carolina, on Aug. 16. She was 36.

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How 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.

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What 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.

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Who 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.

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How 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 for comment but has not heard back. Meanwhile, Brian's attorney Sloan Ellis has spoken out.

"Hayden's death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed," Ellis told E! News Aug. 20. "As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play. Out of respect for Hayden's loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time."

And 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."

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What 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.

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