Hayden Panettiere experienced mysterious leg pain that felt like pins and needles in the months before her death, and had instructed private security to bar her ex-boyfriend from attending a Manhattan book signing in May, according to a report published by The New York Times.
The actress, best known for her roles in “Heroes” and “Nashville,” was found unresponsive on August 16 at an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina. She was 36. First responders performed CPR at the scene, but she was pronounced dead shortly after. The Greenville County Coroner’s Office completed an autopsy the following day and found no visible injuries or signs of trauma, with officials saying preliminary findings do not point to foul play.
Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel, told the Times she spent time with her daughter in Los Angeles roughly a year before her death, describing a period when Panettiere was in pain and struggling to walk. Vogel said she took her daughter to doctors and an acupuncturist to address the sensation in her legs, and that Panettiere was frightened and unable to physically function properly during that stretch.
The book signing in question took place at a Barnes & Noble in Manhattan in May, tied to the release of Panettiere’s memoir, “This Is Me, A Reckoning,” which includes a chapter addressing her relationship with Brian Hickerson. According to the Times, Panettiere arranged for private security to keep Hickerson away from the event.
Hickerson, who has faced three arrests tied to violence against Panettiere and served jail time, was present in the Greenville apartment along with his brother when she died. Neither man initially suspected foul play, and Hickerson’s attorney has said the death remains under investigation, declining further comment out of respect for the family.
The revelations have added to broader conversation this week about the treatment of former child performers. Actress Melissa Gilbert wrote publicly over the weekend that three women from the same generation of young actors, Michelle Trachtenberg, Daveigh Chase and Panettiere, have died within roughly a year of each other, calling for stronger industry protections for child performers.
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If you are experiencing intimate partner violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available for support and resources.
