Hayden Panettiere’s boyfriend’s brother says “the truth will come out” and reveals new details

As police continue their investigation into Hayden Panettiere’s death, her boyfriend Brian Hickerson's brother, Zach Hickerson, is sharing his side of the story. In a conversation with TMZ, he revealed what he says happened when they found her unconscious.

© Getty Images

Zach said he decided to speak out because he wanted to correct "speculation" surrounding Hayden’s death and "to allow those that cared about her to mourn without additional noise, chaos, and misinformation being created and propagated by the media as well as the public."

© Backgrid/The Grosby Group

According to Zach, he had been texting Brian earlier Sunday morning and the three had planned to meet for lunch and play indoor golf after he went to church. After his texts went unanswered, he assumed they had fallen back asleep, and he drove over to the other Airbnb.

© MEGA

Zach said he knew the code to enter the building but not the Airbnb, so he knocked loudly on the door, which woke up Brian from his nap. He said Brian and Panettiere were both taking naps on the pull-out couch bed in the living room.

“When we went in and tried to wake Hayden up for lunch, we realized she was unconscious,” he said. “I immediately called 911, and Brian gave her Narcan." Narcan is used to reverse an opioid overdose. Police had previously stated that Narcan was found at the scene.

© Backgrid/The Grosby Group

He said they worked together to try to save her. “We then jointly performed CPR while 911 was on speaker until Fire and EMS arrived,” he said. “At that point we watched as they tried every measure possible to save her life.”

Authorities have not announced a cause or manner of death. The Greenville County Coroner's Office previously said an autopsy found no trauma that contributed to Panettiere's death, while additional testing remains pending.

Zach also called out the "assumptions, speculations and accusations currently swirling." “The truth will come out as the authorities complete and release additional details from the investigation," he said.

After her passing, there were reports by the Daily Mail that Panetteire and Zach had a romantic relationship while Brian was in jail for domestic abuse against Panetteire.

Photos showed them holding hands, but it remains unclear the nature of their relationship. “I am beyond heartbroken and devastated by this tragic and traumatic loss,” he said. “Hayden was one of my dearest and closest friends that I loved and cared about for the last 8 years.”