Hayden Panettiere's mother denies boyfriend Brian Hickerson's account of her death and accuses him of stealing actress' belongings

Hayden Panettiere ’s mother Lesley Vogel has raised new questions about the account given after her daughter’s death, while stressing that she wants answers as investigators continue to examine what happened.

Vogel is publicly challenging parts of the timeline surrounding the actress’ death, saying she doesn't believe Brian Hickerson ’s reported version of events fully makes sense, as per RadarOnline.com.

Panettiere died on August 16 at age 36 after being found unresponsive at an Airbnb in Greenville, South Carolina, where she had reportedly been staying with Hickerson . Authorities have said there were no signs of foul play, and toxicology results remain pending.

According to Vogel , Hickerson told police that Panettiere was doing her makeup when he left the property around 10 a.m. and that he did not speak with her after returning.

Vogel said Hickerson also told investigators he went to sleep, woke when his brother Zach knocked at the door and then found Panettiere unresponsive. That account has left her with questions.

“I don’t know how you can take a nap near someone who’s dying and not realize something’s wrong,” Vogel said.

What happened before emergency crews arrived?

Vogel has also focused on reports that Narcan was administered to Panettiere before emergency responders arrived.

“When the EMTs came, it was for cardiac arrest,” Vogel said. “People in cardiac arrest aren’t just lying still. They make noise.”

She went further, alleging that she believes Hickerson already knew Panettiere “was deceased,” then “called his brother” and “built this story.”

Those claims are Vogel ’s own suspicions and have not been established by law enforcement.

Hickerson ’s legal team has declined to respond directly to the accusations, referring instead to an earlier statement.

“Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed,” an attorney said. “As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play.”

Vogel has also alleged that Hickerson pawned some of Panettiere’s belongings, including a vintage guitar, and kept other items in a storage unit. Those claims haven't been independently verified.

Past struggles remain part of investigation

Panettiere had spoken publicly in the past about addiction and sobriety, and people who worked with her have since described concern over her well-being.

Griff Furst , who directed her in the 2025 thriller A Breed Apart, said Panettiere ’s team had discussed staging an intervention during production.

“I said yes, and that intervention did not happen, at least not that I’m aware of,” Furst said. He added that he saw “somebody fighting to stay sober and who deserved better company around them than what I observed.”

Reports have also indicated that investigators are reviewing medications found at the scene. An autopsy reportedly found no trauma, and there has been no official finding that Hickerson caused or contributed to Panettiere ’s death.

Vogel has acknowledged that her own relationship with her daughter was difficult. Panettiere portrayed her mother critically in her memoir, while Vogel has described their relationship as “complicated.”

“I didn’t leave because I didn’t care about her or didn’t love her,” Vogel said. “I had to go no-contact because I could not help her anymore.”

Her questions have added more scrutiny to a case that remains unresolved, but investigators haven't publicly identified foul play, and the final cause of death is yet to be established.