Prosecutors Say Brian Hickerson Used Drugs Days Before Hayden Panettiere's Death
Court records show prosecutors alleged Brian Hickerson was under the influence of a stimulant during a hearing on August 13, three days before his ex-wife Hayden Panettiere was found dead.
Prosecutors in Los Angeles County said Brian Hickerson, 37, appeared to be under the influence of a stimulant during a hearing on August 13, when a judge considered his request to expunge two felony domestic-violence convictions. The hearing took place three days before the actress Hayden Panettiere was found unresponsive at a South Carolina residence on August 16 and later pronounced dead.
According to court documents obtained by a news outlet, the prosecutor argued that Hickerson was "quite high" and "very clearly not sober" during a recent interview, and that his recent arrests on August 2 and August 6 for alleged drug influence supported denying the expungement request. The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department confirmed the arrests were for suspected controlled-substance use.
Hickerson, who was convicted in 2021 after pleading no contest to two felony counts of corporal injury to a spouse, had previously served 13 days of a 45-day jail sentence and was subject to probation, domestic-violence classes and a protective order. He and his attorney did not attend the August 13 hearing.
Panettiere’s death was investigated by local authorities and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the coroner reporting no signs of trauma. Her brother and Hickerson discovered her unresponsive, and emergency responders were unable to revive her.
Hickerson’s attorney, Sloan Ellis, declined further comment, noting that police had found no evidence of foul play and that the investigation was ongoing.