New details have emerged about the troubled relationship between Hayden Panettiere and Brian Hickerson following the actress’s death at 36.
Panettiere’s estranged mother, Lesley Vogel, told The New York Times on Sunday, August 23, that Hickerson, 37, had at one point pawned some of the Nashville alum’s belongings, including a vintage guitar.
Vogel alleged that Panettiere was ultimately “shocked” to discover more of her possessions in a storage unit belonging to Hickerson.
A second person, speaking to The Times anonymously, corroborated Vogel’s claim that Hickerson had sold off some of Panettiere’s property.
Panettiere and Hickerson dated on and off from 2018 to 2020, ultimately splitting after a domestic violence incident in Wyoming that led to Hickerson being sentenced to a year in jail, later suspended in favour of a year of probation.
In May, as Panettiere began a book tour for her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, two unidentified sources told The Times that a Barnes & Noble location in New York City was given explicit instructions not to allow Hickerson inside, and that Panettiere traveled with private security intended to keep him away from her.
Speaking about the relationship weeks before her death on the On Purpose podcast, Panettiere reflected on how much support it ultimately took to stay away from him.
“I really thought I had done it and I was capable of doing it by myself. I needed an incredible amount of support and backup in order to make sure that there was no way for him to find his way back in.”
Hickerson broke his silence on Panettiere’s death through his attorney, Sloan Ellis, on Thursday, August 20.
“Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed. 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.”
Panettiere was found dead at a South Carolina apartment complex on August 16.
Panettiere is survived by her parents, Skip Panettiere and Lesley Vogel, and her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko.
Her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023 at age 28 from an “undiagnosed heart condition.”
