DEA joins Hayden Panettiere death probe
‘Outnumbered’ panelists break down news regarding the FBI’s probe into former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) joining Hayden Panettiere’s death probe.
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Hayden Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson broke his silence after the sudden and tragic death of the actress.
Hickerson’s lawyer, Sloan Ellis, shared a brief statement with TMZ on Thursday.
“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,” Ellis said.
“Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.”
Hayden Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, has broken his silence after her tragic death. (Getty Images)
The Greenville Police Department told Fox News Digital it is not participating in media interviews regarding this case.
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“The GPD response is the same as in all death investigations. The Police Department works with the Coroner’s Office, receives its findings, reviews the facts and evidence and then decides if a criminal investigation is warranted. There were no signs of foul play during the initial response and investigation,” the statement concluded.
“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.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Ellis for comment.
On Wednesday, Fox News Digital learned the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has been contacted and is assisting in the investigation into Panettiere’s death.
Hayden Panettiere and Brian Hickerson in 2019 (Getty Images)
Also on Wednesday, Greenville police showed up at a South Carolina home linked to Brian and Zach Hickerson just days after Panettiere’s death. Officers appeared to be carrying out a welfare check, but nobody answered the door.
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Two police cruisers were spotted around 8 a.m. Wednesday morning and again around 10 a.m.
Panettiere died Sunday at the age of 36. She was found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest at an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful and the “Nashville” and “Remember the Titans” actress was pronounced dead.
Brian Hickerson enters a home with his brother, Zach, in Greenville, S.C., Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)
Preliminary autopsy results found no signs of trauma that contributed to her death, Fox News Digital confirmed.
A police report obtained by Fox News Digital revealed Hickerson and his brother, Zach, called 911 after finding the actress unresponsive. Hickerson later handed authorities a bag of medication Panettiere had allegedly been taking.
Zach Hickerson walks into his home in Greenville, S.C., Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)
Hickerson was among those at the Greenville apartment when Panettiere was found, and authorities executed a search warrant at the residence, according to the report. The police report claimed Zach appeared “very emotional” while paramedics worked to revive Panettiere.
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Panettiere had an on-again, off-again relationship with Hickerson in the years before her death at age 36. Panettiere and Hickerson reportedly met through mutual friends in 2018, shortly after her split from Wladimir Klitschko.
Hickerson, who is from South Carolina, worked in real estate before pursuing acting and had a small role in the 2017 thriller “M.F.A.”
Police perform a wellness check at a home where brothers Brian and Zach Hickerson are believed to be staying in Greenville, S.C., Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)
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Hickerson reportedly traveled with the “Remember the Titans” actress from Los Angeles the day before she was found unresponsive at a Greenville, South Carolina, apartment complex Aug. 16, according to TMZ.
The two broke up briefly in 2022 but rekindled their romance the following year. Hickerson’s brother confirmed to police Brian was in a relationship with the actress at the time of Panettiere’s death.
Hayden Panettiere died Sunday at age 36. (Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)
The former couple’s relationship was marked by highly public legal troubles. Hickerson was first charged with domestic violence against Panettiere in 2019. He was arrested again in 2020 on eight felony domestic violence charges, including felony charges of corporal injury on a spouse/cohabitant, a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon and a misdemeanor charge of battery on a spouse/cohabitant.
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In 2021, he was sentenced after pleading no contest to two felony charges connected to the domestic violence involving Panettiere. The rest were dismissed due to the plea agreement.
Three days before Panettiere’s death, Hickerson appeared in Los Angeles court in an effort to have his felony charges reduced.
Hayden Panettiere’s death still remains under investigation, according to police. (Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty Images)
“On Aug. 13, the prosecution objected to the defense’s motion to expunge and reduce both counts,” a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office told Fox News Digital. “The court denied both.”
Hickerson had tried to have the charges reduced once before, appearing in court July 18, 2025, Fox News Digital confirmed.
Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz and Lorraine Taylor contributed to this report.
