Hayden Panettiere passed away a week ago, on Sunday, August 16. She was just 36. After the news of her passing was made public, there have been multiple claims about her life and her relationship with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, who was with her at the Greenville, South Carolina, apartment when she was attended to by first responders.
The couple flew to South Carolina, where Hickerson is from, and were staying in a rented accommodation at the time of her death.
Hayden Panettiere’s Neighbor Discusses Interactions with Brian Hickerson
The “Nashville” actress’s neighbor, Mia Terrazzas, has been speaking to the media about Panettiere and her interactions with Hickerson. On Wednesday, August 19, Terrazzas spoke to Inside Edition, which reported that she called 911 “half a dozen times to report disturbances in Hayden’s apartment in West Hollywood.”
Hickerson was previously arrested for punching Panettiere, and he was jailed for 45 days in 2021, according to Inside Edition. However, no later incidents involving Panettiere and Hickerson have been made public. In an interview with Page Six, published on Sunday, August 23, Terrazzas reflected on two incidents in which Panettiere allegedly required assistance. Terrazzas said these were on July 29, 2023, and January 16, 2024, Page Six reports. The actress had to be taken from her home on a “gurney by firefighters,” Page Six reports.
Terrazzas also claims she saw “bright red spots” and “bruises” on Panettiere and heard “muffled arguments” coming from Panettiere’s home. “You can tell somebody’s arguing just by the tonality. … It was very hostile,” she said.
Hayden Panettiere’s Neighbor Says She ‘Deserved’ Better
Terrazzas felt intimidated by Hickerson, recalling an incident on the stairs. “I’m 61. I’m moving really slow down those stairs, and he’s just right behind me. Didn’t pass me up or anything. And I thought, ‘Is that to intimidate me?’” she told Page Six.
But her interview also praised the late actress. “She was just so lovely … and just seeing her and passing frequently and, you know, the little chats that I had with her — she made such an impression, and she was such a bright light,” Terrazas said. Page Six reports she started to cry as she said this. “Just as a human being. Never mind the talent; she was a human being, you know? And she deserved so much better.”
Terrazas has been vocal since Panettiere’s passing, also giving an interview to TMZ about warning posters put up around the apartment complex in August 2025. The posters urged residents to “call 911 immediately” if they saw Hickerson on their property. TMZ reports that the “warning poster with his photo went up after a string of complaints about his alleged behavior” and was removed a week later.
Hickerson broke his silence through his attorney on Thursday, August 20. “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,” the attorney said in a statement to ABC News. “Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.”
