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Zach Hickerson, the brother of Hayden Panettiere’s on-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, has spoken out after the actress’ death.
“There are a lot of assumptions, speculations and accusations currently swirling,” Zach told TMZ on Friday, August 21. “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 continued, “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.”
Laying out the timeline of events, Zach told the outlet that he woke up at his Airbnb in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday, August 16, and got dressed to attend church.
“I exchanged messages that morning with Brian on my way. We planned on us all getting lunch and playing indoor golf after the service,” he added. “When I left church, I called and texted both of them. When I didn’t reach Brian or Hayden, I just assumed maybe they fell back asleep, so I drove over and went to the Airbnb. When I got there, I knew the code to the building but not the door code to the Airbnb.”
Zach recalled knocking loudly on the door, which woke up Brian, 37, from the nap he had been taking with Hayden.
“When we went in and tried to wake Hayden up for lunch, we realized she was unconscious,” he continued. “I immediately called 911, and Brian gave her Narcan. We then jointly performed CPR while 911 was on speaker until Fire and EMS arrived. At that point, we watched as they tried every measure possible to save her life.”
Zach told the outlet that he is “beyond heartbroken and devastated” by Hayden’s death.
“Hayden was one of my dearest and closest friends that I loved and cared about for the last eight years,” he concluded. “Out of respect for her loved ones, the speculation and sensationalism of her death needs to end until the facts can be released from the investigation.”
Hayden’s father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed her death to Us on Sunday. She was 36.
“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,” Skip said in a statement at the time. “We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”
The Greenville Police Department and Greenville County Coroner’s Office confirmed that officers responded to reports of an “unresponsive female” at a South Carolina residence, later identified as Hayden, and a possible “drug overdose.” First responders and EMS performed “advanced cardiac life support measures,” but Hayden was pronounced dead on Sunday afternoon.
An autopsy found “no signs of trauma that would have contributed” to Hayden’s death, the coroner’s office confirmed to Us. The cause and manner of her death “remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies.”
The New York Times reported on Thursday, August 20, that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was looking into the circumstances surrounding Panettiere’s death.
Brian broke his silence on Hayden’s death via a statement from his attorney Sloan Ellis.
“Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed,” Ellis told Us on Thursday. “As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play. Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.”
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