Brian Hickerson Reacts to Snub From Panettiere Memorial

Daily Mail reports Hayden Panettiere's on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother Zach were excluded from her Malibu celebration of life.

One month after Hayden Panettiere's death at 36, the late actress's upcoming celebration of life in Malibu is moving forward — and her on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson, 37, and his brother Zach, 38, are not on the guest list. According to the Daily Mail, citing TMZ, sources confirmed the brothers are excluded from the memorial event, and they understand why they were not included given how sensitive a time it is for Panettiere's loved ones. Notably, the Daily Mail also reports that Panettiere's mother, Lesley Vogel, from whom the actress was estranged, was not invited to this weekend's memorial either. The gathering comes as family and friends continue to reckon with the star's sudden death in South Carolina.

The exclusion sits against the troubling circumstances of Panettiere's August 16 death. Per the Daily Mail, detectives confirmed they responded to a 911 call from an 'acquaintance' who described her as 'unresponsive,' and TMZ previously reported that Narcan — a nasal spray used to reverse opioid overdoses — was found on a mattress in the loft apartment where she was staying in Greenville, South Carolina. ABC News reports the Greenville County Coroner's Office said first responders located Panettiere 'unresponsive' and in cardiac arrest, initiated advanced cardiac life support, and pronounced her deceased at 2:32 PM. The coroner completed an autopsy Monday and found 'no signs of trauma,' but her official cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation.

The decision to keep Brian and Zach Hickerson away from the memorial is a striking reversal for a man who was with Panettiere in her final days — and it lands amid what the Daily Mail describes as a haunting grief spiral. According to that outlet, Brian is said to be spiraling and has reportedly lost 40 pounds since Panettiere died, and the brothers were involved in a bar brawl at Wild Wing Cafe this month that led to Brian's detainment and Zach's arrest for disorderly conduct after patrons allegedly heckled them over her death. Their turbulent history compounds it: the Daily Mail notes Brian's on-and-off relationship with Panettiere beginning in 2018 included multiple domestic abuse arrests, and in 2021 he pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend.

Zach Hickerson has publicly pushed for patience as investigators work. According to the Daily Mail, he previously told TMZ that 'the truth will come out as the authorities complete and release additional details,' describing Panettiere as 'precious' and asking that those who cared about her be allowed to mourn 'without additional noise, chaos, and misinformation.' ABC News reports the coroner's office and Greenville City Police Department have initiated a parallel investigation, and her father, Skip Panettiere, asked for privacy as the family processes 'this unimaginable loss.' With the memorial happening this weekend in Malibu, the focus now turns to whether the pending toxicology results and additional studies finally establish what caused the death of the 'Heroes' and 'Nashville' star, who would have turned 37 on Friday.