Brian Hickerson’s brother, Zach Hickerson, claimed in a new interview that Brian gave his girlfriend Hayden Panettiere CPR and administered Narcan in the frantic moments after she was discovered unresponsive.
“Brian gave her Narcan,” Zach told TMZ on Friday, noting that he’d gone to the Greenville, South Carolina, Airbnb where the “Heroes” actress and Brian were staying.
After waking Brian up from a nap, he claimed to the outlet, they found Hayden unconscious, and Zach called emergency services while Brian gave her Narcan — a medication for opioid overdoes.
“There are a lot of assumptions, speculations and accusations currently swirling,” Zach told the outlet.
Zach insisted the truth about Panettiere’s death would “come out” as the investigation progresses, and noted that her loved ones and fans “deserve the truth.”
He also said he hoped to shed light on his involvement in an effort to keep the focus on the loss of Panettiere, whom he called “one of the most precious individuals on this earth,” and to minimize “chaos and misinformation.”
Zach detailed the day of the “Nashville” star’s death as well, recalling that that morning, he went to church while exchanging messages with Brian, whom he planned to grab lunch and play indoor golf with following church services.
After church, Zach recalled he couldn’t reach either Brian or Panettiere, and that he assumed they fell back asleep — so he drove the AirBnb.
“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,” he explained, noting that when they tried to wake the actress for lunch, they “realized she was unconscious.”
Zach said he “immediately called 911” while “Brian gave her Narcan” before they “jointly performed CPR while 911 was on speaker until Fire and EMS arrived.”
Zach recalled watching with Brian as first responders “tried every measure possible to save [Panettiere’s] life.”
Zach mourned the actress, telling the outlet that he’s “beyond heartbroken and devastated by this tragic and traumatic loss.”
“Hayden was one of my dearest and closest friends that I loved and cared about for the last 8 years,” he added,” noting that “out of respect for her loved ones,” he hoped that “speculation and sensationalism” surrounding her death would die down until the results of the investigation are made public.
Page Six has reached out to Zach for comment.
News of the beloved actress’s death after an “overdose” broke on Aug. 16, with her family confirming the “unimaginable loss” in multiple statements.
There were “no signs of trauma” at the scene, according to the coroner’s office. An exact cause and manner of Panettiere’s death are pending further investigation.
Her father, Skip Panettiere, was the first to acknowledge the former soap actress’s death, calling her “an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen.”
Brian and the Golden Globe nominee — who’d navigated a number of volatile incidents during their on-again, off-again, relationship — began dating back in 2018, following her split from ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko, with whom she shared 11-year-old daughter, Kaya.
Brian broke his silence through his lawyer, Sloan Ellis, who told Page Six on Friday that it’s “important to allow” the investigation into Panettiere’s death to continue.
“As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play,” the statement continued,” adding that “out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.”
Read the full article here
