Hayden Panettiere’s Rep Says ‘Much More to This Story’ Amid Ongoing Death Investigation

Hayden Panettiere’s representative says there is “much more to this story” than has been publicly discussed as authorities continue investigating the actress’s death and await toxicology results.

In a statement shared Tuesday, Panettiere’s team criticized speculation surrounding her death and said people without firsthand knowledge of the circumstances were spreading rumors while those closest to the actress continue cooperating with investigators.

“Many people who were not close to Hayden are using her death as an opportunity to fuel gossip and speculation about a situation they knew very little about,” the statement said.

Anyone with information that could help investigators was urged to contact law enforcement rather than post theories online. The representative said those close to Panettiere are working with authorities to establish what happened.

The statement did not identify any particular rumor or explain what additional information has not yet been made public.

Panettiere died Aug. 16 at age 36 after she was found unresponsive at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina. First responders found her in cardiac arrest and attempted to resuscitate her before she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Her official cause and manner of death remain undetermined.

A preliminary autopsy found no trauma that contributed to her death, and Greenville police said the initial investigation found no evidence of foul play or suspicious circumstances. Toxicology testing and additional studies remain pending.

Emergency dispatch communications referenced a possible overdose and cardiac arrest during the response. The overdose reference has not been confirmed as Panettiere’s cause of death.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is also assisting Greenville police, which remains the lead agency. Authorities have not publicly explained what prompted the federal agency’s involvement or identified a specific drug-related offense under investigation.

Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were at the residence when she died. A police report said the brothers were present when first responders arrived, and Brian Hickerson gave officers a bag containing medication Panettiere had been taking.

Hickerson’s attorney, Sloan Ellis, asked last week that the investigation be allowed to proceed before conclusions were drawn. Ellis pointed to the preliminary finding of no foul play and said Hickerson would not comment further while the investigation remained active.

Public attention has also returned to Panettiere and Hickerson’s history. Hickerson pleaded no contest in 2021 to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or partner, and Panettiere later wrote about domestic abuse in their relationship in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.

A former Los Angeles neighbor recently said she called 911 multiple times over disturbances involving the couple while they lived in the same building. Police have not linked those earlier incidents to Panettiere’s death.

The Greenville County Coroner’s Office has not announced an official cause or manner of death. Toxicology results and additional testing remain pending as the investigation continues.