Hayden Panettiere's Death: Family Struggles, Fame, and Tragedy Unfold
-
Panettiere then had an on-again, off-again relationship with Brian Hickerson. NBC News on Tuesday said it had obtained a police report that said Hickerson and his brother, Zach, were at the scene inside the apartment complex where Panettiere died.
Compare 4 other versions
Fox News EntertainmentPanettiere had an on-again, off-again relationship with Hickerson in the years before her death at 36. Panettiere and Hickerson reportedly met through mutual friends in 2018 shortly after her split from Wladimir Klitschko. Hickerson, who is from South Carolina, worked in real estate before pursuing acting and had a small role in the 2017 thriller "M.F.A."
Washington Times CultureGREENVILLE, S.C. — Hayden Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother Zach Hickerson were at the South Carolina apartment where the actor died over the weekend, according to a police report released Tuesday.
Vanity FairFurther information on her death was not provided. According to TMZ, Panettiere and boyfriend Brian Hickerson had traveled from Los Angeles to a southern state on Saturday; the actress reportedly died the next day.
NYT ArtsBoyfriend Who Abused Hayden Panettiere Had Returned to Her Life Despite the actress’s efforts to move on from a turbulent relationship with Brian Hickerson, they were together when she went into cardiac arrest and died.
-
In a statement shared with media, Hayden Panettiere's father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed her death. “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” the statement reads. “She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her -- and to the millions who watched her onscreen.”
Compare 4 other versions
Fox News EntertainmentHollywood stars are mourning the death of Hayden Panettiere. Panettiere, known for her roles in "Heroes," "Nashville" and the "Scream" franchise, died Sunday at 36, her representative confirmed to Fox News Digital.
Washington Times CultureLOS ANGELES — Hayden Panettiere, star of popular television series including “Heroes” and “Nashville,” has died. She was 36.
The Guardian CultureHayden Panettiere, the actor known for her roles in television shows such as Heroes and Nashville, has died at the age of 36.
NYT ArtsHayden Panettiere Grew Up in Front of the Camera. It Took a Toll. The “Heroes” and “Nashville” star, who died Sunday at 36, endured personal struggles that were compounded by her public profile.
-
In her book, Panettiere described lifelong scars from her early fame, and acknowledged being addicted to alcohol and enduring postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter, Kaya, with Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko in 2014.
Compare 2 other versions
Fox News EntertainmentIn her memoir, Panettiere reflected on growing up with Vogel overseeing her career and how the blurred lines between mother and manager affected their relationship long after she became an adult.
The Guardian CultureEarlier this year she published a memoir titled This is Me: A Reckoning, which touched on her struggles with fame, postpartum depression, addiction and recovery. In the book Panettiere wrote about the troubling link she made between acting and love: “Directors, fans, and Mom praised me endlessly for my over-the-top dramatic responses. Subconsciously, I began to associate catastrophe with adoration; people loved me because make-believe bad things happened to me.”
-
A preliminary autopsy found no signs of trauma that contributed to her death. Her cause and manner of death remain pending.
Compare 1 other version
Washington Times CultureNo cause has been determined and her death remains under investigation. An autopsy found no signs of trauma and police said officers saw no signs of foul play.
-
Panettiere had endured numerous family struggles, and tragedy. Her parents’ marriage was strained, and eventually ended. Her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, who was also an actor, died of a heart condition in 2023, at age 28.
Compare 2 other versions
Fox News EntertainmentPanettiere’s younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, died unexpectedly in February 2023 at age 28.
The Guardian CulturePanettiere is survived by her father, Skip Panettiere, and her mother, Lesley Vogel, who is also her former manager. Panettiere’s brother Jansen died suddenly in 2023 at the age of 28 from cardiomegaly – an enlarged heart – coupled with aortic valve complications.
-
Started out as a child actor Panettiere was one of two children born to Skip Panettiere, a former New York City fire captain, and Lesley Vogel, a former soap opera star who had been the prime force behind her early career before the two became estranged. Panettiere began acting in commercials and soap operas, including as the ever-troubled Lizzie Spaulding on “Guiding Light.” In “This Is Me,” she wrote that the traumas her character endured, from being kidnapped to killing her mother’s boyfriend, led her to associate “catastrophe with adoration.”
Compare 1 other version
Fox News EntertainmentBorn in Palisades, New York, Panettiere was the daughter of former soap opera actress Vogel and New York City firefighter Alan "Skip" Panettiere.
-
Viola Davis, who starred alongside Panettiere in the 2016 movie "Custody," remembered the actress as an "amazing talent" and reflected on the time they spent working together.
Compare 1 other version
The Guardian CultureOscar-winner Viola Davis, who starred with Panettiere in drama Custody, shared a tribute on Instagram. “What an amazing talent you were … so gifted”, she wrote. Davis added: “I wish the world had more time with you because I had a burning curiosity about who you were becoming. I saw this beautiful Phoenix rising from the ashes. Your tests became your testimony, and your testimony became your legacy. You will be remembered.”
-
She had been open about her struggles with alcohol addiction and depression, including after the birth of her daughter in 2014. In a memoir published this year, titled “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” she wrote about her decision to give full custody of her daughter to her former partner, boxer Wladimir Klitschko.
Compare 1 other version
Vanity FairShe followed that success with roles on musical drama series Nashville and on the big screen in films including Scream 4 and Scream VI. Offscreen, she was open about her struggles with substance use disorder and postpartum depression following the 2014 birth of her daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, with then-fiancee Wladimir Klitschko. “This hasn't been easy and there were a lot of ups and downs," she said in 2022. "But I don't regret even the ugliest things that have happened to me. I feel incredibly accomplished. And I feel like I have a second chance.”
-
Hayden Panettiere’s Best Performances: Where to Stream The actress was a staple of two popular network TV dramas and had memorable early-career roles in film.
6 details only one outlet reported
Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.
-
01 Newsweek The red-hot Indiana Fever picked up their fifth-straight win, defeating Toronto 101-95 on the road, but Caitlin Clark and company had to finish the game without All-Star teammate Kelsey Mitchell.
-
02 Fox News Entertainment The police report, obtained by Fox Carolina, claimed Zach appeared "very emotional" while paramedics worked to revive Panettiere. Meanwhile, Hickerson did not become emotional until the "Ice Princess" star was declared deceased.
-
03 The Guardian Culture “To our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was.”
-
04 Vanity Fair Speaking with Vanity Fair in 2023 during the promotional cycle for Scream VI, Panettiere alluded to those struggles, drawing a comparison between her popular character, Kirby Reed, and her own life. “We both have been through trauma, and the way that we handle trauma is something that we have in common,” she said. “We don’t crumble—we find the light and we come out. It’s all or nothing, dukes up.”
-
05 Washington Times Culture The onetime child star, who soared to fame in the TV shows “Heroes” and “Nashville” while enduring struggles with alcohol addiction and depression, would have turned 37 on Friday.
-
06 Fox News Lifestyle Kai Trump is opening up about the emotional days she spent with her mother, Vanessa Trump, before college amid Vanessa’s breast cancer battle.
Fact Corroboration
Which sources independently confirm the same facts. Hover a claim to see its sources, or a source to see what it corroborates.
Coverage by Perspective
Source Similarity
Connections show how similarly each outlet covered this story. Thicker lines = more similar framing.
Sources (7)
- newsweek
- fox-entertainment
- guardian-culture
- washtimes-culture
- fox-lifestyle
- vanityfair
- nyt-arts