Brian Hickerson speaks out on Hayden Panettiere’s tragic death

Brian Hickerson had a blunt response when asked about the death of Hayden Panettiere.

The late actress’ on-again, off-again boyfriend was at a gas station in Greenville, South Carolina, Wednesday, when he was asked by a photographer how he’s holding up, in a video obtained by E! News.

Hickerson — clad in a yellow t-shirt and wearing a backwards gray baseball cap — responded, “How do you think I’m doing?”

The photographer then extended his condolences, to which he replied, “Appreciate it. That’s all I got for you, man.”

He had a visible injury by his left eye, presumably from his altercation Saturday at a bar in Greenville with other patrons. While Hickerson was handcuffed by police, he was ultimately released from the scene and was not charged.

Video obtained by TMZ shows him flinging a bar stool before the scene turned chaotic. Multiple people are heard yelling at him to “stop,” before he’s forcefully picked up from behind by another man and dragged away from the altercation.

Hickerson was seen sitting on the ground and handcuffed outside in a video posted on X, and he yells, “GPD leaked it when my girlfriend died,” clearly referencing Panettiere.

A spokesperson for the Greenville Police Department told Page Six Sunday that his brother, Zach Hickerson — who was with Brian at the bar — was “highly intoxicated” and started yelling profanities when police arrived at the scene. As a result, he was taken into custody for disorderly conduct and transported to the Greenville County Detention Center.

Brian’s attorney previously spoke out on his behalf after Panettiere’s death, telling Page Six in a statement, “Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed.”

“Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time,” the statement continued.

Brian and Zach were both present when Panettiere died of an apparent overdose on Aug. 16 at an Airbnb in Greenville.

According to the Greenville Police Department’s heavily redacted report obtained by Page Six, responding officer Matthew Bryan noted Zach was “very emotional” while emergency medical services professionals “were working on [Panettiere].”

But Brian — whom Zach referred to as his “brother’s girlfriend” — “did not become emotional” until Panettiere was officially declared dead.

He was spotted three days after her death in Greenville with Zach. Page Six confirmed that Brian was staying at his grandmother Betty Ellison’s house after Panettiere’s death.

Cops also did a welfare check that morning at his grandmother’s home. Ellison’s four-bedroom home is about five miles away from the Judson Mill Lofts apartment complex where the “Nashville” alum died.

According to the 911 dispatch audio obtained by Page Six regarding Panettiere’s death, paramedics responded to a call about an “unidentified female” in “cardiac arrest” and, within minutes, “CPR [was] in progress” for the “overdose.”

Emergency responders attempted to resuscitate her at the apartment complex with “advanced cardiac life support” and chest compressions, but she was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m.

Panettiere was 36 years old.

Brian and the “Heroes” alum first met in 2018 and had a tumultuous on-again, off-again relationship. He’s been arrested multiple times for domestic violence against Panettiere, and she wrote candidly about suffering abuse from him in her memoir “This Is Me: A Reckoning.”

A source exclusively told Page Six that Panettiere reconnected with Brian about two weeks before her sudden death.

According to our source, “Brian would always find a way to work his way back into Hayden’s life as ‘a friend.’”

Our insider added that Panettiere’s inner circle was “always concerned” about her relationship with him, whom our informant branded “bad news” and “a real jerk.”

Brian has reportedly spoken to the Drug Enforcement Administration amid their investigation into Panettiere’s death.

Earlier this week, TMZ reported that investigators believe Panettiere took an oxycodone pill that was laced with fentanyl — a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine — on the morning she died.

The outlet reported that she allegedly consumed several drugs she bought from a “long-time drug dealer” in Los Angeles on her flight to South Carolina the day before she died.

The years-long text conversations between Panettiere and the alleged drug dealer have become the focus of the DEA’s investigation into the actress’ death.

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.