Hayden Panettiere’s final hours: Boyfriend’s brother reveals how she was found unconscious

New details have emerged about Hayden Panettiere’ s final moments, days after the actress died at 36 in South Carolina. Zach Hickerson, brother of Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson , has described what happened after he returned to the Airbnb where the pair had been staying.

Zach said he’d planned to meet Panettiere and Brian for lunch before going indoor golfing. After leaving church, he called and texted them but got no response.

Assuming they were asleep, he drove back to the rental, where he initially couldn’t get inside because he didn’t have the door code.

After knocking loudly, Zach said he woke Brian , who had been napping with Panettiere on a pullout couch. The brothers then discovered the actress was unconscious.

“I knocked loudly which apparently woke Brian up from a nap they were both taking on the pull out couch bed in the living room. When we went in and tried to wake Hayden up for lunch, we realized she was unconscious,” he said.

“I immediately called 911 and Brian gave her Narcan. We then jointly performed CPR while 911 was on speaker until Fire and EMS arrived.”

Paramedics and firefighters later arrived and continued lifesaving efforts, but Panettiere couldn’t be revived. She was pronounced dead at approximately 2:32 p.m.

Investigation continues as tributes pour in

Although reports have pointed to a possible overdose, authorities haven’t officially determined Panettiere’s cause of death.

Her autopsy found no signs of trauma that contributed to her death, while additional studies, including toxicology testing, are still pending. Officials have described the investigation as active and ongoing.

Zach has urged people to avoid speculation and accusations while investigators work to establish what happened. He described Panettiere as one of his closest friends over the past eight years and said he was devastated by her death.

Panettiere’s former fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko , also paid tribute on what would have been her 37th birthday. The former heavyweight champion, who shares daughter Kaya with Panettiere , encouraged people to respond to her death with love, kindness and forgiveness.

The actress had spoken publicly throughout her career about postpartum depression, addiction and recovery. In her 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, she reflected on those struggles and the difficult decision to allow Klitschko full custody of their daughter while she focused on recovery.

Her openness has also renewed scrutiny of her former relationship with Neutrogena. Panettiere previously said the brand ended its partnership with her after she discussed postpartum depression publicly.

Following her death, Neutrogena acknowledged that its handling of the situation made her feel unsupported and pledged a significant investment in women’s health initiatives, including support for postpartum depression.

As tributes continue, Panettiere’s family, friends and fans are left remembering an actress whose career spanned decades, while authorities continue working to determine the circumstances surrounding her sudden death.