Hayden Panettiere's EX-Boyfriend and His Brother Photographed for the First Time After Her Death as Police Twice Visited Their Home

Hayden Panettiere's death has left fans mourning the actress, but attention has also turned to the two men who were with her in the final hours of her life.

Now, the first photographs of Hayden's on-and-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother, Zach Hickerson, since the tragedy have emerged — and their timing is raising eyebrows.

Hayden was found unresponsive at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina, on August 16, 2026, and could not be revived.

Greenville police said there were no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances, while the Greenville County Coroner's Office said an autopsy found no trauma that contributed to her death. Her official cause and manner of death remain under investigation.

Brian and Zach were both at the residence when she died. According to TMZ, Zach discovered Hayden unresponsive while Brian was sleeping in another bedroom. Zach and Brian called 911, and emergency personnel arrived at about 1:50 p.m. Hayden was in cardiac arrest, and despite efforts to revive her, she was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m.

A neighbor later described seeing two unidentified men sitting with police following the emergency response. The resident told Page Six that the men appeared shocked, with their heads down and not speaking. Police remained at the complex until about 8 p.m., according to the neighbor's account.

But it was what happened several days later that gave the story another unexpected turn.

First Photos of Brian and Zach Surface

Fox News Digital obtained exclusive photographs showing Brian and Zach at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina, marking the first time the brothers have been photographed since Hayden's death.

In one image, Brian is seen walking past a stone wall in a white hooded tracksuit and sunglasses. At the same time, another photograph shows Zach standing beside an open vehicle door in a black T-shirt, baseball cap and sunglasses. The photos offer a rare glimpse of the brothers in the days following the actress’ sudden death.

The brothers' appearance has inevitably drawn attention because of their presence at the Greenville residence when Hayden was found. At the same time, authorities have not said that Brian or Zach caused or contributed to her death, and the official cause and manner remain pending.

The photographs have nevertheless prompted a wave of reactions online. One commenter wrote, "His brother looks more sad [sic] than him." Another commenter wrote, "Looks fishy!!!" A third commenter wrote, "This death doesn't line up."

The photographs emerged as police attention also turned to a Greenville residence connected to the Hickerson family.

Police Came to Their Family Home — Twice

According to Page Six, two Greenville Police Department vehicles arrived at Brian and Zach's grandmother Betty Ellison's home at about 8:20 a.m. Wednesday. An officer approached the front door and repeatedly knocked but received no response. Another officer tried the side door, but no one answered there either.

Page Six reported that Zach was home at the time, despite nobody opening the door. The officers left after roughly three minutes, only to return about an hour and a half later. During the second visit, officers went around the back of the property to "conduct a welfare check." They did not specify who the welfare check concerned. The officers left about 10 minutes later.

The four-bedroom home is roughly five miles from the Judson Mill Lofts apartment complex where Hayden died. A Greenville Police Department representative confirmed the welfare-check explanation to Page Six, while the Hickerson brothers did not respond to the publication's repeated inquiries.

The police visit came as more details emerged about what happened inside the Greenville Airbnb on the afternoon of Hayden’s death.

The death has since cast fresh attention on Brian and Hayden’s long and troubled history. Brian and Hayden began dating in 2018, but their relationship later became entangled in domestic violence allegations.

Their Relationship Had Already Been Through a Legal Battle

According to TMZ's report on the case, Brian was arrested in Wyoming on February 14, 2020, after he allegedly struck Hayden in the face with a closed fist at an Airbnb. Officers reportedly found Brian intoxicated and locked out of the home. Hayden told police that Brian had roughed her up in the bedroom, according to the police report.

Her face was reportedly red and swollen, while officers also documented a mark they believed could have been caused by Brian's watch. The Wyoming arrest followed an earlier California arrest involving allegations that Brian had assaulted Hayden. Those California charges were later dropped after Hayden refused to testify.

Brian was eventually sentenced to about a year in jail over the Wyoming incident. The judge suspended the sentence and instead ordered him to serve a year on probation.

The case also led to a court order barring Brian from contacting Hayden. Court documents later indicated that authorities believed he had nevertheless reached out to her.

Hayden's Lawyer Brought the Alleged Contact to Authorities

According to a probable cause affidavit from the Wyoming case, Hayden's lawyer contacted authorities after Brian Hickerson allegedly communicated with her despite the court order.

The lawyer provided officials with emails containing screenshots of text messages, records of missed calls, and short video clips. The material, according to court documents obtained by TMZ, led police to believe that Brian had been using threatening language while the criminal proceedings were underway.

Investigators also believed some of the communications were intended to pressure Hayden to drop the case. The documents contain several alleged messages. One, in particular, carried a strikingly ominous tone.

The Text Messages Revealed What Brian Allegedly Said

One alleged text read:

"Time to go to war I guess."

Another reportedly referenced videos and what could happen to them. "After Wyoming and LA disappears so do the videos." Brian allegedly followed that with a message about material he claimed was being kept overseas:

"Even if I sit in a jail cell for ten years. All of the stuff that is vaulted overseas with my people will come out the second I step foot into prison. And all that does is hurt your name while simultaneously clearing my name. And at that point who actually cares?"

Some of the other alleged messages appeared to demand a response from Hayden. "Say something, Hayd, so I don't get defensive and start firing off emails to people to get ready."

Another reportedly read, "I thought his legal stuff would magically disappear… we gotta figure something out, buddy."

Authorities also pointed to messages they believed were intended to persuade Hayden to take a step that could affect the case. "It is very simple, it is a very simple fix, between me and you, you gotta make one phone call"

Another alleged message read, "I don't want to go to court, for you. I will be [expletive] fine in court, trust me, it's for you."

The communications became part of the evidence in the case, with authorities viewing them as an attempt to put pressure on Hayden while the criminal proceedings were ongoing.

Hayden Later Spoke About Forgiving Him

The relationship did not simply disappear after the legal proceedings. In 2022, Hayden spoke about reconnecting with Brian, although she described them at the time as friends. Her comments acknowledged the painful history while making clear that she wanted to approach it differently.

"None of it is OK, and I want to make sure that everybody knows that," Hayden said. "But I am open to people who are willing to get help and make amends. He's gone to treatment and done his time. And I'm trying to live in a place of forgiveness."

Years after those comments, Hayden and Brian were together again in South Carolina.

Her Final Months Were Marked by Unusually Candid Reflections

In the months before her death, Hayden had spoken candidly about her life, recovery, motherhood and the challenges she had faced.

The actress, who was born on August 21, 1989, in Palisades, New York, traced her career back to infancy, telling NPR that she began baby modeling at 8 months old and filmed her first commercial at 11 months.

The interview focused less on career milestones than on what that childhood cost her. Hayden said she often felt caught between an adult professional world and the childhood she wanted to experience.

"I desperately wanted to fit in. That's what I wanted more than anything," she said, recalling that she wanted friends her own age, school and sports.

She also spoke about the emotional demands of acting. As a child, Hayden became known for being able to cry on cue, but she said the mental places she had to reach became darker as she grew older.

By adulthood, she said, moving in and out of emotionally intense characters became more difficult. Her experience on "Nashville" was especially complicated.

Hayden told the outlet that storylines involving strained family relationships, postpartum depression, alcoholism and drug addiction increasingly mirrored struggles in her own life. "I stopped being able to tell where the character started and where, you know, I ended," she said.

She Also Reflected on Motherhood and Healing

On May 26, Hayden appeared at the Harmony Gold Theater in Los Angeles for a book signing and panel tied to her memoir, according to People.

During the conversation, she spoke about people who had approached her after hearing her discuss mental health, telling her that her openness had encouraged them to seek help.

For Hayden, those encounters shaped how she thought about the impact she hoped to leave behind. "I was like, This is worth it. I can hopefully leave the world a better place than I found it," she said.

In a July cover interview with parenting outlet Momé, Hayden spoke candidly about motherhood and the difficult decisions she had made for her daughter, Kaya.

She discussed Kaya's life-threatening birth, her experience with postpartum depression, and the decision for her 11-year-old daughter to primarily live with her father, former boxer Wladimir Klitschko.

"I've been able to put her first no matter how I've felt or what I've experienced," Hayden said. She hoped "one day she’ll understand my story, and why I wasn't able to be with her all the time."

Hayden also reflected on where she was in her own life at the time of the interview. "I'm a work in progress — we all are," she said. "I take each day as it comes. I'm doing the work, and I’m doing my best."

She closed the interview with a message for other mothers facing difficult periods: "You're stronger than you know. And you're going to be just fine."

Her Last Instagram Post Drew Emotional Farewells

In the weeks before her death, Hayden shared what would become her final public Instagram post.

Published July 27, the black-and-white photo showed her smiling with photographer and director Randall Slavin. Hayden tagged him and added a sparkle emoji. "Good times and good friends," she captioned the post.

After news of her death emerged, actress Selma Blair left several emotional messages beneath it, according to The Independent. "I love you. Don't be gone. Don't be gone. Please. Please," Selma wrote.

In another comment, she called Hayden "whale tail my friend." She later added, "I'm dying. Please be here."

Randall also returned to the July 27 image. He reposted the black-and-white photo to his Instagram Story and wrote, "Peace be with you, H."

"Bring It On: All or Nothing" star Emme Rylan shared a separate Instagram Story featuring a black-and-white portrait of Hayden marked "1989-2026." Emme expressed her sadness over Hayden's death and paid tribute to her as a "sweet soul."

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) also paid tribute to Hayden in an Instagram post, noting that she had been a member of the union since 1994.

"We join in mourning the sudden passing of Hayden Panettiere. Starting as a child actor, Hayden's long career in TV and film included memorable roles in 'Heroes,' 'Nashville' and more. Our hearts are with her daughter, family, friends and fans. May she #RIP. 🕊️," the union wrote.