Hayden Panettiere Death: Cops Make Early-Morning Visit To On-And-Off Boyfriend Brian Hickerson's Family Home

Police cars arriving at a quiet family home would be enough to draw attention, but the timing of this visit has drawn scrutiny, coming just days after Panettiere's death nearby. Officers visited the property twice, though officials have since clarified the welfare check was unrelated to her death investigation.

The Heroes and Nashville star, 36, was found unresponsive at an apartment in Greenville on Sunday, with authorities describing the investigation into her death as ongoing.

Why Police Returned Twice to Hickerson Family Home

Officers were spotted outside Brian Hickerson's grandmother's home in Greenville at around 8.20am on Wednesday, days after Panettiere's death. Two Greenville Police Department vehicles arrived at the property, with one officer approaching the house and repeatedly knocking on the front door, but no one answered.

Police left after roughly three minutes, only to return around an hour and a half later. During their second visit, officers went around the back of the house to carry out what was described as a welfare check, though authorities did not identify who the check concerned. They left the property around 10 minutes later.

According to local media reports, Zach Hickerson was inside the residence at the time. The four-bedroom home, where the blinds remained closed throughout the morning, is about five miles from the Judson Mill Lofts apartment complex where Panettiere was found unresponsive on Sunday afternoon. Brian and Zach had both been photographed at the grandmother's home the previous day.

What We Know About the Investigation Into Panettiere's Death

Brian and Panettiere shared a long and turbulent on-and-off relationship that was marked by multiple domestic violence incidents involving Hickerson, including arrests and criminal convictions in previous years.

At the time of Panettiere's death, Brian was asleep in another bedroom when his brother Zach entered the apartment and discovered the actress unresponsive in a chair in the living room, according to a source familiar with the matter. Emergency responders attempted to revive her, but she was later pronounced dead.

Panettiere's death is being investigated as a suspected overdose, although no signs of trauma or foul play were found in the initial autopsy, with the official cause and manner of death still pending toxicology results.

Hayden Panettiere and Brian Hickerson's Turbulent Romance

Panettiere and Brian first began dating in 2018, shortly after her split from former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko. What followed became one of Hollywood's most turbulent celebrity relationships, punctuated by domestic violence arrests, criminal proceedings and lengthy periods apart.

Despite the turmoil, the pair remained connected in the years that followed. Panettiere had previously spoken about forgiveness and healing, while also publicly discussing the emotional toll that addiction and past abuse had taken on her life.

Panettiere travelled from Los Angeles to South Carolina with Brian in the days before her death, according to multiple reports. Their complicated relationship, including how they first met and the years of public controversy that followed, has been chronicled extensively.

Brian referred to the Nashville actress as his ex-girlfriend during an interview in May 2026, saying they 'probably wouldn't be good together', while describing her as 'the sweetest thing in the world'. However, reports indicate the pair had travelled together to South Carolina the day before Panettiere's death, although it remains unclear whether they had formally rekindled their romantic relationship.