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Beloved actress and singer Hayden Panettiere, 36, was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m. EDT on Sunday, August 16, 2026, at Judson Mill Lofts in Greenville, South Carolina, according to a release from the Greenville County Coroner’s Office (GCCO).
According to the coroner, Panettiere had been temporarily staying at the complex – which is located at 701 Easley Bridge Road approximately two miles southwest of the city.
In a statement (.pdf) released Monday, authorities said the Greenville Police Department (GPD) and GCCO were continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Panettiere’s untimely death. While investigators said there was no indication of foul play, their inquiries are ongoing.
According to a heavily redacted incident report (.pdf) released on Tuesday (August 18, 2026), officers responding to the actress’ apparent cardiac arrest spoke with Panettiere’s boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother, Zach Hickerson. As emergency medical personnel performed “advanced cardiac life support measures” on Panettiere, an officer escorted both brothers from the apartment into the hallway.
The responding officer noted Panettiere had no “obvious physical reasons” for being unresponsive. The report also documented the brothers’ reactions as emergency personnel worked to save her. According to the officer, Zach Hickerson appeared “very emotional,” while Brian Hickerson “did not become emotional until EMS declared her officially deceased.”
The report also references a bag of medications Brian Hickerson reportedly provided to responding officers. Those medications were documented across eight redacted line items – meaning their names, dosages and prescription information are not publicly available.
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The 911 call reporting actress Hayden Panettiere unresponsive in Greenville, S.C., has been released, shedding new light on the emergency response before her death.
— FITSNews (@fitsnews) August 17, 2026
Read our latest coverage at https://t.co/IvhKJdJ8A5 pic.twitter.com/9q12ovq1GT
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Authorities have not identified the medications – nor have they said whether Panettiere was taking them at the time of her death (or whether any medication may have contributed to her death). However, 911 dispatch audio referenced a possible overdose as emergency personnel were being sent to the scene.
The coroner’s office completed an autopsy Monday. In a statement (.pdf) provided to media, the office said no trauma was identified that would have contributed to Panettiere’s death.
Her cause and manner of death remain unresolved pending the “completion of additional studies,” according to the coroner.
Authorities have not alleged foul play or announced any criminal charges in connection with Panettiere’s death. Still, the circumstances documented in the newly released incident report — coupled with Brian Hickerson’s prior criminal case involving Panettiere and allegations she detailed in her memoir, This is Me: A Reckoning — have fueled speculation surrounding her sudden death.
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CRIMINAL PAST
Allegations of abuse involving Hickerson became public following a series of domestic violence-related incidents beginning in 2019.
One of those incidents occurred shortly after 2:30 a.m. MST on February 14, 2020, when the Teton County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) responded to a reported disturbance at a private residence in Jackson, Wyoming, involving Hickerson and Panettiere.
According to reports citing law enforcement documents, Hickerson was accused of striking Panettiere, then 30, with a closed fist on the right side of her face. Responding deputies reportedly encountered Hickerson in the driveway, where he told them Panettiere was inside the residence.
TMZ reported Hickerson did not answer when deputies asked whether he had physically assaulted Panettiere. According to law enforcement documents cited by the outlet, Panettiere told authorities Hickerson had thrown her around and punched her during an altercation in a bedroom.
Deputies reportedly observed redness and swelling on Panettiere’s face, along with a scrape and swelling on her left hand that she believed had been caused by Hickerson’s watch.
Hickerson was charged with misdemeanor domestic battery and interference with a peace officer. The interference charge stemmed from allegations that he refused to identify himself. He was later released on a $5,000 bond.
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The Wyoming arrest came after an earlier domestic violence-related case stemming from a May 2019 incident involving Panettiere. According to Los Angeles County court records (.pdf) obtained by FITSNews, Hickerson pleaded no contest in April 2021 to two felony counts of injuring a spouse, cohabitant or dating partner. The convictions resulted from an eight-count case involving allegations concerning Panettiere between May 2019 and January 2020.
A misdemeanor battery charge was dismissed under the plea agreement, according to Los Angeles Superior Court records. Hickerson was sentenced to 45 days in county jail, four years of formal probation, domestic violence programming and a five-year restraining order. He received credit for time served and ultimately served 33 days, according to prior reporting.
His legal troubles did not end there. Court records show Hickerson’s probation was revoked and subsequently reinstated with modified conditions in August 2022. Those conditions included attending at least one Alcoholics Anonymous meeting each week and completing 26 anger-management sessions.
Despite their history, Panettiere and Hickerson later reunited publicly. Then, just three days before Panettiere’s death, Hickerson was back before a Los Angeles County judge.
On August 13, 2026, the judge denied Hickerson’s petition to reduce his felony convictions to misdemeanors and his request to have the case dismissed pursuant to California Penal Code § 1203.4, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors opposed both requests.
A dismissal under § 1203.4 does not erase a conviction or establish factual innocence. Rather, the statute generally allows certain eligible defendants who have successfully completed probation to withdraw their plea and have the case dismissed, subject to statutory limitations.
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RELATIONSHIP TIMELINE
Panettiere and Hickerson were first publicly linked in August 2018, when they were photographed together in West Hollywood. Less than a year later, though, the abuse allegations began to surface.
Panettiere publicly addressed the situation on July 17, 2020, writing on Instagram that she was sharing “the truth about what happened to me” in hopes of helping others in abusive relationships seek support.
She said she intended to ensure the man involved “never hurts anyone again.”
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Panettiere and Hickerson publicly separated in July 2022, although subsequent reports indicated the two remained in contact. By March 2026, they had again been seen together publicly – photographed together at Los Angeles International Airport.
Two months later, on May 19, 2026, Panettiere released her memoir – in which she addressed their relationship and the abuse she said she endured.
Hickerson has also publicly acknowledged his conduct toward Panettiere.
In the days following the actress’ death, flowers began appearing outside Judson Mill Lofts as fans mourned the actress whose sudden passing — just days before her birthday — stunned fans across the country.
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THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES…
For now, the central question surrounding Panettiere’s sudden death remains unanswered: what caused it?
Authorities have found no evidence of trauma and have said there is no indication of foul play. But with the cause and manner of death still pending, investigators have not yet provided a definitive explanation for what happened inside the Greenville apartment on Sunday afternoon.
The Greenville County Coroner’s Office is awaiting the completion of additional studies, while Greenville police continue their investigation.
Until those findings are complete, the newly released records offer only pieces of Panettiere’s final hours — not an answer as to why and how her life was cut short.
FITSNews will continue reviewing records related to Panettiere’s death and Hickerson’s criminal case as additional information becomes available.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Troy Styles is a field correspondent for FITSNews. He is also the owner of Blunt Force Media.
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