Zach Hickerson, the brother of Hayden Panettiere’s boyfriend Brian Hickerson, spoke out regarding the tragic events surrounding the actress’s death. According to statements given to TMZ, Zach described rushing to a Greenville, South Carolina Airbnb, discovering an unconscious Panettiere, calling 911, and watching Brian administer Narcan while they performed CPR.
The Bottom Line
- Zach Hickerson stated that he woke Brian from a nap at their Greenville Airbnb before discovering an unconscious Hayden Panettiere on the pull-out couch.
- According to Zach’s account, Brian administered Narcan, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, while Zach dialed 911 on Sunday morning.
- The tragic event remains under investigation by authorities, with officials looking closely into the circumstances surrounding her passing.
Unraveling the Timeline at the Greenville Airbnb
The details surrounding Hayden Panettiere’s final hours have begun to crystallize through the firsthand account of Zach Hickerson. Speaking directly to TMZ, Zach laid out a precise timeline of Sunday morning, explaining how a planned group lunch and indoor golf outing turned into a medical emergency. Zach stated that he went to church that morning and exchanged messages with Brian before the service.
When subsequent calls and texts to both Brian and Hayden went unanswered, Zach assumed they had fallen back asleep and drove over to the Airbnb they were staying in. While he knew the code to the building, he did not have the door code to the rental unit itself. That forced him to knock loudly on the door.
That loud knock woke Brian from a nap. According to Zach, both Brian and Hayden had been resting on the pull-out couch bed in the living room. When the brothers stepped inside and tried to wake Panettiere for lunch, they realized she was completely unresponsive.
The Administration of Narcan and the 911 Response
What happened next shifts the focus toward substance abuse struggles. Zach told TMZ that he immediately dialed 911 while Brian administered Narcan—a nasal medication designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses. The brothers then worked together to perform CPR on Panettiere while keeping the dispatcher on speakerphone until emergency medical services arrived on the scene.
Dispatch audio referenced an “overdose,” and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is reportedly involved in the ongoing investigation. The discovery of Narcan—with a dispensing device left behind on a mattress, as initially reported by TMZ—points directly to the presence of opioids. Furthermore, reports indicate that Panettiere had faced challenges maintaining sobriety while working on one of her final film projects, to the point where her director and team considered staging an intervention.
| Individual | Role in Timeline | Reported Action |
|---|---|---|
| Zach Hickerson | Brother of Brian | Knocked on Airbnb door, called 911, and assisted with CPR. |
| Brian Hickerson | Boyfriend | Woke from nap, administered Narcan, and assisted with CPR. |
| Hayden Panettiere | N/A | Found unconscious at the Greenville, South Carolina Airbnb. |
A Plea for Patience Amid Social Media Speculation
In his statement to TMZ on Friday, Zach Hickerson expressed deep frustration over the wave of unverified claims flooding public channels. He emphasized that the truth will ultimately emerge once authorities complete and release the official findings of the investigation.
“There are a lot of assumptions, speculations and accusations currently swirling,” Zach stated. “The truth will come out as the authorities complete and release additional details from the investigation. And that is important because the people who loved and adored Hayden deserve the truth.”
He added that his primary goal in speaking out is to cut through the digital noise and protect the space needed for mourning. “At this time, I want to clarify my involvement in effort to keep the focus on the fact that we lost one of the most precious individuals on this earth and to allow those that cared about her to mourn without additional noise, chaos, and misinformation being created and propagated by the media as well as the public,” Zach shared.
Reflecting on his personal relationship with the late actress, Zach noted that he had been close to her for nearly a decade. “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.” As the official investigation moves forward, friends, family, and fans await definitive answers from investigators.
