Cops Make Visit Tied To Hayden Panettiere’s Boyfriend

Two police cars arrived at the South Carolina home belonging to Brian Hickerson’s grandmother early Wednesday morning — just three days after the sudden death of actress Hayden Panettiere, Hickerson’s apparently on-again, off-again girlfriend.

Page Six reported that two marked cars from the Greenville Police Department rolled up on property owned by Betty Ellison, knocking on several doors at the home but receiving no answer. The outlet stated that Zach Hickerson, Brian’s brother, was on the property at the time.

Both Brian and Zach had been spotted at the property one day prior, but neither came to the door when police arrived. After about three minutes, officers left the home — but returned less than two hours later to conduct a “welfare check.” They stayed on the property for about 10 minutes before leaving again.

Zach Hickerson, 38, was reportedly the first person to discover the late actress unresponsive when he walked into the Airbnb rental they were sharing on Sunday afternoon. Police on the scene said that he appeared to be visibly shaken as first responders worked on the 36-year-old “Nashville” star.

Brian, who had been involved with Panettiere on and off for a number of years, was reportedly asleep in another room when she was found — and did not appear to be upset until the actress was officially declared dead a short time later. He provided investigators with the “bag of medication” that she had been taking in the days leading up to her death.

Panettiere and Hickerson had a rocky relationship, and had once split after she accused him of domestic violence. Hickerson was arrested on Valentine’s Day in 2020 after reportedly striking Panettiere “with a closed fist,” and when police arrived he’d been locked out of their Airbnb rental in Wyoming.

Following his arrest, despite being informed that he was not allowed to contact the “Heroes” actress, Hickerson called her phone repeatedly and sent several texts that appeared to be overtly threatening.

“Time to go to war I guess,” he wrote.

In another text, Hickerson appeared to be hinting at leverage he held over Panettiere: “After Wyoming and LA disappears so do the videos.”

“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,” another text read, according to entertainment site TMZ. “And all that does is hurt your name while simultaneously clearing my name. And at that point who actually cares?”

In another alleged text, Hickerson suggested that his attempts to stay out of court were ultimately for Panettiere’s protection: “I don’t want to go to court, for you. I will be f*cking fine in court, trust me, it’s for you.”