911 audio has given further insight into how Hayden Panettiere's boyfriend and his brother attempted to save her life after she was found unconscious after a drug overdose
The audio, published by CBS, reveals that Zach Hickerson, the brother of Hayden's on-and-off boyfriend Brian, had called 911 after entering the apartment they were renting in Greenville, South Carolina, and finding him asleep and Hayden unconscious.
© Getty Images for amfAR"I walked in after church to my brother and his girlfriend's apartment and she's unconscious," he tells the operator, sharing that he had been able to wake up Brian but Hayden was non-responsive.
Zach tells the operator Hayden is not breathing, and he is asked to put the phone on speaker and to find a defibrillator, to which he questions if the apartment complex would have one.
© GC ImagesInstructions are then given for CPR, with the brothers both performing chest compressions and airway breathing. As the instructions continue, someone can be heard shouting "come on" in the background of the call before the ambulance is heard arriving.
Hayden's history with Brian Hickerson
Brian and Hayden dated on-and-off for eight years between 2018 to 2026.
Following her passing, the contents of a February 17, 2020 restraining order filed by Hayden in Wyoming were released, revealing allegations of horrifying abuse at the hands of Brian, with Hayden claiming that "when alcohol is involved [Brian] pulls my hair, swings me around and hits me, spits in my face."
© GC ImagesThe actress also alleged that he "dumped water over me while I'm in bed" and "[threw] objects at my face."
The temporary order of protection was filed days after Brian was arrested for domestic battery on February 14, 2020 – Valentine's Day. Hayden also filed an out-of-state protective order in California.
He denied all the claims.
Three months later in July 2020, a criminal indictment – stemming from alleged incidents that took place between May 2019 to January 2020 – revealed he had been arrested on multiple felony charges, including four charges of corporal injury on a spouse/cohabitant, two charges of assault with a deadly weapon, and one of intimidating a witness.
"I am coming forward with the truth about what happened to me with the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve," Hayden said at the time.
"I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again. I'm grateful for my support system, which helped me find the courage to regain my voice and my life."
Brian pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or cohabitant, and was sentenced to 45 days in county jail, four years of probation, 52 mandatory domestic violence classes, $500 in restitution and a five-year protective order.
Yet by 2023, the pair had reunited, and Brian attended the celebration of life event for Hayden's younger brother Jansen on March 8, 2023 in New York.
Hayden's tragic death at age 36
Hayden died on August 16, 2026. The actress, who rose to fame as a child star before becoming best known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville, died from the toxic effects of fentanyl, 4-ANPP, Alprazolam, Methocarbamol and Quetiapine. Hayden's death was ruled an "accident."
"It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden," her representative told HELLO!
© Instagram"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," her father Skip said in a statement.
"We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss," he added.
Hayden was a mother to daughter Kaya, 11, whom she welcomed in December 2014 with her former fiancé, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko.
