Hayden Panettiere’s boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, gave her Narcan after she was found unconscious on the day of her death, according to his brother, Zach Hickerson.
Zach spoke out about the circumstances surrounding the actress’ death in a statement to TMZ on Friday, Aug. 21, offering his account of what happened inside the Greenville, South Carolina, rental where Panettiere was found unresponsive.
“Brian gave her Narcan,” Zach told the outlet.
According to Zach, he went to the Airbnb after he was unable to reach either Brian or Panettiere.
He said he had communicated with Brian earlier that morning and that they had discussed getting lunch and playing indoor golf after Zach attended church.
“When I left church I called and texted both of them,” Zach said. “When I didn’t reach Brian or Hayden, I just assumed maybe they fell back asleep so I drove over and went to the Airbnb.”
Zach said he knew the building’s entry code but did not have the code for the individual rental. He said he knocked loudly, which woke Brian from a nap.
According to Zach, the brothers then entered the residence and attempted to wake Panettiere.
Zach Details What Happened Once He Arrived at the Apartment
“When we went in and tried to wake Hayden up for lunch, we realized she was unconscious,” he said.
Zach said he immediately called 911 while Brian administered Narcan. He said the brothers then performed CPR together while emergency dispatch remained on speakerphone.
“I immediately called 911 and Brian gave her Narcan. We then jointly performed CPR while 911 was on speaker until Fire and EMS arrived,” Zach said.
Narcan is a medication used to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose.
Its reported presence at the residence had previously raised questions about what happened before Panettiere’s death, but authorities have not publicly determined that an overdose caused her death.
Zach Comments on the Rumors
Zach emphasized that the circumstances remain under investigation and urged people not to draw conclusions before officials complete their work.
“There are a lot of assumptions, speculations and accusations currently swirling,” he said. “The truth will come out as the authorities complete and release additional details from the investigation.”
Panettiere was pronounced dead on Aug. 16 at age 36.
The Greenville County Coroner’s Office said an autopsy found no signs of trauma that contributed to her death, while her cause and manner of death remain pending additional studies.
Zach also described Panettiere as one of his closest friends.
“I am beyond heartbroken and devastated by this tragic and traumatic loss,” he said. “Hayden was one of my dearest and closest friends that I loved and cared about for the last 8 years.”
He ultimately asked the public to allow Panettiere’s loved ones to mourn while investigators work to establish what happened.
“Out of respect for her loved ones, the speculation and sensationalism of her death needs to end until the facts can be released from the investigation,” Zach said.
The investigation remains ongoing, with the Drug Enforcement Administration reportedly assisting local authorities.
