Hayden Panettiere’s Boyfriend Brian Hickerson’s Lawyer Speaks Out After Her Sudden Death in South Carolina

Hayden Panettiere died on Sunday, Aug. 16. Her on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson broke his silence in a statement via his lawyer.

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Hayden Panettiere died on Sunday, Aug. 16, at age 36

Her on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson broke his silence in a statement via his lawyer on Thursday, Aug. 20

“Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed,” said his lawyer

Hayden Panettiere’s on-again, off-boyfriend Brian Hickerson is breaking his silence after her sudden death at 36.

The actress was found dead at a residence in Greenville, S.C., on Sunday, Aug. 16. First responders arrived at the residence on Sunday following a 911 call reporting an “unresponsive female,” who was later identified as Panettiere, the Greenville Police Department said.

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Sloan Ellis, an attorney for Hickerson, told TMZ in a statement on Thursday, Aug. 20: “Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed. 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.”

PEOPLE reached out to Ellis for comment.

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On Monday, Aug. 17, the Greenville County Coroner’s Office announced an autopsy had been completed and that “no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death.” The statement, shared by coroner Mike Ellis, said that the investigation “remains active and ongoing” and confirmed that Panettiere was found in “cardiac arrest” when first responders arrived on the scene on Sunday.

The Greenville County Coroner’s Office confirmed to PEOPLE that Panettiere’s remains were released to her family on Tuesday, Aug. 18, and her body was transferred to a mortuary that evening.

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Her rep confirmed her death in a statement shared on Sunday on behalf of her father, Alan “Skip” Panettiere. “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” the statement read. “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.”

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The actress was a mom to 11-year-old Kaya, whom she shared with ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko. The Ukrainian boxer shared a tribute to her on Aug. 18, writing that he was feeling “profound shock and grief.”

“Hayden was, although no longer my partner, an important part of my life and the mother of our daughter, Kaya,” he wrote in the Instagram post. “Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives. To our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was.”

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Brian and his brother Zach were both on the scene when first responders arrived at the residence, according to a police report obtained PEOPLE. Brian showed police to a “bag of medication” the late actress was taking, per the report.

The responding officer on the scene, Matthew Bryan, wrote in the report that Zach was “very emotional,” while Brian was not visibly emotional until Panettiere was declared dead. The officer noted that he spoke more “in depth” with Brian and stated that Zach referred to Panettiere as his brother’s “girlfriend.”

The late actress was most recently seen with Brian in March at Los Angeles International Airport. They were first linked in 2018, and in a 2022 interview with PEOPLE, Panettiere described that period as “a very dark and complicated time in my life,” as she was privately struggling with addiction to alcohol and opioids. “I wanted to party, I wanted to do everything I wasn’t supposed to do,” she said.

During their relationship, Hickerson was arrested numerous times, on charges including domestic violence in 2019 and 2020.

Panettiere issued a statement after his 2020 arrest on eight domestic violence charges. “I am coming forward with the truth about what happened to me in the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve,” she said at the time. “I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again.”

In 2021, Hickerson pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a partner, related to the 2020 arrest. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail, four years of formal probation, 52 domestic violence classes, $500 in restitution and a five-year protective order. He spent 13 days in jail. The other charges were dropped. The 2019 case was dismissed.