Zach Hickerson reportedly found Hayden Panettiere unresponsive while his brother, Brian Hickerson, was asleep in another room.
According to TMZ, sources with “direct knowledge” claimed that on Sunday afternoon, Hayden and Brian were inside an Airbnb rental in Greenville, South Carolina, when Zach entered and discovered the “Heroes” actress sitting in a chair in the living room.
Police records stated that the brothers called 911. First responders attempted to revive Panettiere but were unsuccessful. She was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m. She was 36.
When a reporter for the Daily Mail approached Zach — who is a Nashville independent church founder — in South Carolina on Tuesday, he told the outlet, “No comment, bro, and with no offense to you and what you’re trying to do, this is private property.”
Zach, who was reportedly clad in black, added, “Please respect our privacy. I’m not going to answer anything that you ask me.”
“I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t mind just leaving us alone. I know you’re just doing your job.”
According to 911 audio previously obtained by Page Six, the former child star was found dead at a luxury apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina, after an apparent “overdose.”
Her autopsy stated that she had no “signs of trauma” at the time of her death, and Narcan — a medication used for it’s reversal effects on an opioid overdose — was said to have been found at the scene.
Brian — whom Panettiere had dated on and off for a number of years — handed over a “bag of medication” she’d been taking to reporting officer Matthew Bryan after she was declared dead at the scene on Sunday afternoon, per a police report obtained by Page Six.
The former child star’s family confirmed her death in a statement, with her father, Alan “Skip” Lee Panettiere, writing, “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden.”
“She was 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,” the statement went on noting that the loss of Hayden was “unimaginable” to her inner circle.
Hayden’s estranged mother Lelsey Vogel, meanwhile, slammed her on-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson — who was with Panettiere at the time of her death — in a scathing statement on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the former soap star’s estranged mother, Lelsey Vogel, slammed Brian in comments to NBC News on Tuesday.
“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,” she said.
Vogel added, “I think Hayden was an amazingly talented person in so many departments.”
“And I think young people who grow up in the entertainment industry — it is a struggle, and it’s a very challenging industry, and it’s not unusual for them to sadly find the wrong path.”
If you or someone you care about is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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