Details of “Heroes” actress Hayden Panettiere‘s boyfriend at the time of her passing have now emerged, showing that Hayden had decided to rekindle her romance with former flame Brian Hickerson. Hayden’s team told TMZ that the late actress, 36, was advised to stay away from Brian, so she kept reconnecting with him out of the public eye.
What Did The TMZ Report Say?
GettyAccording to TMZ, sources close to Brian told them that he had been dating Hayden during her final days. Hayden’s team also chimed in saying that they had advised her to keep her distance because her complicated history with Brian would be seen as “bad for business” while she was promoting her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning”.
Sources also spilled that the couple had constantly remained in contact for years despite reports saying that they had broken up.
Hayden and Brian’s Rocky Relationship
Hayden and Brian were first linked back in 2018 when they were spotted leaving Craig’s in West Hollywood in August to share a dinner. Paparazzi caught them holding hands and getting into a car together that night, smiling widely.
Later that month a source confirmed that Hayden and Brian had been seeing each other for multiple months at that point, and that they had been partying a lot and “having fun”.
Two months later their relationship hit the rocks, when Brian got into an assault incident involving his father. Hayden’s friends chatted to Us Weekly and shared that they felt Hayden’s relationship with Brian was “not a healthy situation”. Though Brian later gave a statement to Access Online, denying that Hayden’s friends and family were worried about her at all.
All seemed well in February 2019 with Hayden gushing about Brian online and how she would marry him one day. “I’ve lived a big life, I’ve met a lot of people. I learn something new from [Brian] every day, and that’s something that not many people can provide me with,” she told Us Weekly. Us Weekly asked the actress if they’ll eventually marry and she said, “I think so. I hope so.”
May saw the couple get into a heated argument with cops called over marks seen on Hayden’s body. It was from that point on that Hayden was highly encouraged to stay away from her former flame, though it appears the pair remained in touch.
Hayden’s Passing
A friend of Hayden’s found her unresponsive inside of a home in Greenville last week and called 911. According to TMZ the emergency call described Hayden as being “unresponsive” as well as in a state of “cardiac arrest”. Though dispatch audio reportedly indicated that first responders were sent to the scene following a suspected overdose.
TMZ further reported that first responders attempted to resuscitate her using “advanced cardiac life support” as well as special medicines, breathing tubes, and heart rhythm tracking. Hayden was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m. as paramedics were unable to revive her.
Police previously said there were no initial signs of foul play, and autopsy results show no signs of trauma. “At autopsy no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death,” the coroner’s office said in its statement.
The official cause and manner of death remain pending while officials complete additional studies.
