Hayden Panettiere’s estranged mom blasts tragic actress’ boyfriend in first words since her death

Hayden Panettiere’s estranged mom blasted her tragic daughter’s on-again, off-again boyfriend in her first public statement since the actress’ death.

Lesley Vogel said their family had been trying to distance themselves from Brian Hickerson, who was with Panettiere in South Carolina when she died on Sunday.

Hayden Panettiere and Lesley Vogel are pictured in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, August 16, 2026. Juan Rico / BACKGRID
Hayden Panettiere appears in an interview with Jay Shetty in a video posted to YouTube on May 11, 2026. YouTube/Jay Shetty Podcast

“This person in her life that we have been trying to get rid of for quite some time was with her at her death and that was Brian Hickerson,” Vogel said in a statement told NBC on Tuesday.

Panettiere suffered a cardiac arrest after a suspected overdose at a luxury apartment complex in Greenville.


More coverage on the death of Hayden Panettiere:


She died just five days before her 37th birthday.

Brian Hickerson and Hayden Panettiere attend the Showtime PPV Presents ‘Wilder vs Fury’ Heavyweight Championship of the World at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018. (Shutterstock Editorial) Eric Charbonneau/Shutterstock

Panettiere struggled with “severe health issues” in recent months, sources told Page Six.

Hickerson told police that the actress was taking a “bag of medication” at the time of her death.

The exact names of the medications were redacted in the police report.

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