NEED TO KNOW
Hayden Panettiere was with her on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson when she died on Aug. 16 at 36
A new report from The New York Times claims that, just months earlier, Panettiere’s private security was given “clear instructions” to keep Hickerson away during her book tour
In her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, Panettiere wrote about her tumultuous relationship with Hickerson
New information is coming to light about where Hayden Panettiere stood with her on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson before her death.
The actress, who died on Sunday, Aug. 16, in South Carolina at age 36, had been involved with Hickerson since 2018, and she detailed their tumultuous relationship in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, which was published in May.
At the time of her memoir release and book tour, which kicked off in New York City on May 19, Panettiere’s private security had been given “clear instructions” to keep Hickerson away from her, according to The New York Times.
Per the outlet, the Barnes & Noble in Union Square, the first stop of the book tour, was also given “specific instruction” to “not let in a man named Brian Hickerson.”
Hayden Panettiere’s memoir, ‘This is Me: A Reckoning’; Panettiere in 2023
Credit: Grand Central Publishing; ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty
Hickerson was with Panettiere when she died, according to a police report obtained by PEOPLE. He and his brother Zach were with the actress, and Brian showed police a “bag of medication” she was taking. Per the report, Zach was “very emotional” as first responders arrived, while Hickerson was not visibly emotional until Panettiere was declared dead at the scene.
Hickerson addressed the Heroes star’s death for the first time in a statement shared on Thursday, Aug. 20 by his attorney, Sloan Ellis: “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.”
An attorney for Hickerson had no additional comment when reached by PEOPLE on Monday, Aug. 24.
During the years Panettiere was with Hickerson, he was arrested numerous times on various domestic violence charges. In 2020, after his arrest on eight domestic violence charges, she released a statement.
“I am coming forward with the truth about what happened to me with the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve,” she said at the time. “I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again. I’m grateful for my support system, which helped me find the courage to regain my voice and my life.”
Hayden Panettiere attends the premiere of ‘Blonde’ at TCL Chinese Theatre on September 13, 2022
Credit: Jon Kopaloff/Getty
In a 2022 interview with PEOPLE, she described her time with Hickerson as “a very dark and complicated time in my life.”
“I wanted to party, I wanted to do everything I wasn’t supposed to do. Acting was my life, but I felt so bad about myself that I lost trust in myself. And that is very detrimental. The idea of not having a responsibility was very appealing at the time,” she said at the time.
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She had reconnected with him at the time as friends. “I think [Brian] has done his time and was willing to get help. I think about the things I have done in my life that people forgave me for. Making amends is a really important thing that you learn in treatment,” she said. “And it gives you a lot of inner peace.”
Read the original article on People