One of Hayden Panettiere’s neighbors shared that she was “terrified” of the late actress’ on-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson.
“This predator was in our community. He never stopped living at her place,” Mia Terrazzas claimed to Inside Edition on Wednesday, August 19, of Hickerson’s frequent presence at Panettiere’s West Hollywood apartment. “There were times he ripped apart her bathroom, where he just took a sledgehammer at 5 in the morning.”
Panettiere and Hickerson dated on and off from 2018 to 2020. The pair ultimately broke up following a domestic violence incident. (Hickerson was sentenced to one year in jail, which a judge later suspended. He was instead ordered to one year of probation.)
When asked about the domestic violence allegations, Terrazzas claimed to Inside Edition that she once witnessed Panettiere being taken away for apparent treatment.
“I saw her leave I think twice in a gurney, being taken away and didn’t know what was occurring at that time,” Terrazzas alleged to the outlet. “She appeared to be injured.”
Due to her fears, Terrazzas told Inside Edition that she called 911 “at least half a dozen times” to report disturbances at Panettiere’s house. She also claimed a sign posted at the apartment building had warned residents to similarly call 911 if Hickerson was spotted. Terrazzas said the signs were removed the next week before she tried to put them back up. (The signs were ultimately taken down by the homeowner’s association.)
Hickerson has not publicly addressed the accusations. Us reached out for comment.
Panettiere died in South Carolina on Sunday, August 16, at the age of 36.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” the actress’ father, Skip Panettiere, told Us in a statement. “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. We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”
In addition to her father, Hayden is survived by her mother, Lesley Vogel, and her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with ex Wladimir Klitschko. (The Nashville alum’s younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023 at age 28 from an undiagnosed heart condition.)
A cause of death for Hayden has yet to be publicly shared, though local police revealed in a statement that Hickerson was present on the scene.
“After EMS officially declared Hayden deceased, I escorted Zach [Hickerson] and Brian out of the apartment,” a police report obtained by Us read, referring to Brian’s brother, who once briefly dated Hayden. “I observed Zach to be very emotional while EMS were working on Hayden. Brian did not become emotional until EMS declared her officially deceased.”
Days later, police units were called to the Hickerson family’s house in South Carolina on Wednesday for a check-in unrelated to Hayden’s death investigation.
“Greenville Police officers responded to a call for a welfare check at a home belonging to Brian Hickerson’s family on Wednesday morning,” officers said in a press release shared with Us. “The call is unrelated to the Hayden Panettiere death investigation and did not require an incident report.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
