Hayden Panettiere Seen With On-Off Boyfriend Brian Hickerson Less Than 24 Hours Before Her Death at 36
Hayden Panettiere final hours was reportedly spent with her boyfriend.
Aug. 31 2026, Published 7:55 p.m. ET
Less than 24 hours before Hayden Panettiere was found unresponsive at a South Carolina home, the troubled actress was photographed boarding a flight out of Los Angeles with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson.
Breaking Celebrity News can reveal Panettiere, 36, and Hickerson were spotted at LAX on August 15 before flying to Greenville, South Carolina.
Hayden Panettiere Final Moments
Panettiere boarded a flight at LAX with boyfriend Brian Hickerson before her tragic death.
The following afternoon, emergency responders raced to a home after a frantic 911 caller reported an apparent overdose and cardiac arrest involving the Heroes star. She was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m.
Police say an acquaintance placed the 911 call, and investigators have found no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.
Panettiere and Hickerson shared a highly turbulent on-and-off relationship.
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Hickerson and Panettiere began dating in 2018 and endured a tumultuous relationship marked by breakups and reconciliations. In May, he publicly admitted he abused the Scream 4 star.
Panettiere, who battled addiction, leaves behind her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya. Before her tragic passing, Panettiere once wrote that a doctor told her she would be "dead within five years" if she did not stop drinking.
She turned to treatment in 2020, entering an eight-month stay and battling withdrawal symptoms.
The movie star's father confirmed her death and wrote in a heartbreaking statement, "... 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."
