Brian Hickerson, the on-and-off partner of Hayden Panettiere, has broken his silence following the actress’s death at the age of 36.
Through the Ellis Hinton law firm, Mr Hickerson issued a statement urging patience as authorities continue to examine the circumstances surrounding her death.
“Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed,” the statement read.
“As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play.”
Hayden Panettiere and Brian Hickerson in 2019 | GETTY
“Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.”
A post-mortem carried out by the Greenville County coroner’s office similarly concluded that there were no indications of foul play or suspicious circumstances. The official cause and manner of death remain unconfirmed.
Ms Panettiere was pronounced dead on Sunday, August 16, after emergency services responded to a 999-equivalent call reporting an unresponsive woman at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina.
Mr Hickerson and his brother Zach were reportedly present at the apartment when the actress died, according to a police report obtained by NBC News.
Dispatch audio secured by People indicated that officials discussed both an “overdose” and “cardiac arrest” around the time of her death.
An initial autopsy found no evidence of trauma that could have caused her passing.
The Greenville City Police Department launched an inquiry into the death earlier this week.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is now assisting local officers with the investigation, as reported by The New York Times.
Hayden Panettiere, known for roles in the Scream franchise and Heroes, died on Sunday night | REUTERS
Ms Panettiere’s relationship with Mr Hickerson was marked by turmoil from the outset. The pair first met in 2018, and by 2020 the actress had sought a restraining order against him.
In her recently published memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, Ms Panettiere described multiple instances of physical violence at Mr Hickerson’s hands.
She recounted being beaten so severely that she was unable to leave her home for weeks at a time.
The couple’s volatile dynamic had been well documented in the public eye, with their relationship characterised as on-again, off-again over the years since they began seeing one another.
Hayden Panettiere and Brian Hickerson in 2023
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Mr Hickerson was reportedly inside the Greenville apartment alongside his brother Zach at the time of Panettiere’s death, according to a police report obtained by NBC News.
In a statement released by Ms Panettiere’s estranged mother Lesley Vogel on Wednesday, she directed sharp criticism at Mr Hickerson.
Ms Panettiere’s career in entertainment began in childhood, with early roles in soap operas before she voiced the character Dot in Pixar’s A Bug’s Life in 1998.
Her breakthrough came with the 2000 sports film Remember the Titans opposite Denzel Washington, and she later became a household name portraying cheerleader Claire Bennet in the superhero series Heroes.
Her portrayal of aspiring country artist Juliette Barnes across six seasons of Nashville earned her two Golden Globe nominations for best supporting actress.
Her father Skip described her as “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”.
Former partner and ex-boxer Wladimir Klitschko, with whom she shares daughter Kaya, said his family was experiencing “profound shock and grief.”
Ms Panettiere had previously spoken openly about battling addiction throughout her twenties.