Hayden Panettiere’s friends had their concerns when it came to her on-and-off relationship with Brian Hickerson.
“Hayden’s friends felt like Brian had isolated her from them over the years,” a source exclusively told Page Six. “They were really worried about her and felt like she had become more and more cut off from the people who cared about her.
“They always hoped she would eventually leave him for good and reconnect with the people who loved and supported her. It was really hard for them to watch.”
Representatives for Panettiere and Hickerson did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.
As previously reported, the “Nashville” alum kept some of her friends “in the dark” about apparently reconnecting with Hickerson, 37, before her sudden death at 36.
“If Brian was back in her life, then it was something she was hiding because she wasn’t speaking about it with many of her friends,” a separate source exclusively told Page Six at the time.
“If you’ve gone through some dark times with people, and spoken about it, then there can be shame if you get back together with that same person,” the insider said. “So maybe that was why she hadn’t mentioned it to us.”
Meanwhile, the former couple had been publicly seen together months before the “Nashville” alum’s death.
Panettiere and Hickerson sparked reconciliation rumors after they were spotted together at LAX airport in March 2026, with Hickerson accompanying the actress as she walked on crutches.
Panettiere reconnected with Hickerson about two weeks before the actress’ death, Page Six was previously informed.
A source exclusively told us that Hickerson was allegedly with Panettiere for about a week in Los Angeles before they made their way east.
“He was supposed to leave, but somehow, they ended up on a flight to South Carolina, where he is from,” the insider said.
As for the nature of the pair’s relationship, our informant noted that “things did not appear to be romantic” and cited Panettiere’s own comments to podcaster Jay Shetty just three months ago.
According to the source, “Brian would always find a way to work his way back into Hayden’s life as ‘a friend.’”
Page Six also confirmed that Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were at the scene of Panettiere’s death on Sunday.
The siblings were at Judson Mill Lofts, the South Carolina apartment complex where Panettiere went into cardiac arrest and died, according to the Greenville Police Department’s heavily redacted report obtained by Page Six Tuesday.
Zach, according to responding officer Matthew Bryan, was “very emotional” while emergency medical services professionals “were working on [Panettiere].”
Brian, meanwhile, “did not become emotional” until Panettiere was officially declared dead.
Zach referred to Panettiere as his “brother’s girlfriend.” Brian, per the report, showed police a “bag of medication” that Panettiere was taking at the time of her death.
However, the names of the multiple medications were redacted in the report.
The pair — who were first romantically linked in 2018 — went on to have a tumultuous relationship that included multiple alleged incidents of domestic violence.
Hickerson was arrested for felony domestic violence in May 2019 following an alleged altercation with Panettiere at their home after the pair had been drinking in Hollywood.
TMZ reported at the time that redness and marks were visible on Panettiere’s body.
Hickerson was charged later that month and ordered to stay 100 yards away from Panettiere and have no contact with her. The case was dismissed in September 2019.
He was arrested again in Wyoming on Valentine’s Day in February 2020 following another alleged domestic dispute with Panettiere.
Hickerson was accused of striking the actress “with a closed fist on the right side of her face” and was later released on $5,000 bond.
In April 2021, Hickerson was sentenced to 45 days in county jail after pleading no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend. The sentencing came after multiple domestic violence allegations involving the “Heroes” star.
Hickerson was also hit with four years of probation, 52 domestic violence classes and a $500 fee. He also received a five-year restraining order that barred him from going near Panettiere.
In May 2026, Hickerson shared a horrifying story from their troubled relationship, admitting he was abusive toward her.
“There’s a story where I was drunk, right? Hayden was standing across the room and I had a phone in my hand and I said, ‘Hayden I’ll give you 10 seconds to run as fast as you can before I throw it at you,’” he recalled.
Panettiere died Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina, her family confirmed. She was 36.
A cause of death has not been officially determined.
TMZ reported that just one day prior, the actress flew from LA to South Carolina with Hickerson.
As of this publication, Hickerson has not publicly responded to his girlfriend’s tragic death.
Panettiere is survived by her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, and her parents.
If you or someone you care about is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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