Hayden Panettiere’s Mother Claims Brian Hickerson Pawned Actress’ Belongings Before Her Death
Hayden Panettiere’s mom, Lesley Vogel, said that Brian Hickerson pawned some of the actress’ belongings before she died. Vogel and Panettiere are pictured here in May 2007.Matt Baron/BEI / Shutterstock
New questions are being raised about Hayden Panettiere’s turbulent relationship with Brian Hickerson after the late actress’ mother alleged that he pawned some of her daughter’s possessions before Panettiere died at 36.
Lesley Vogel made the claim in an interview published by The New York Times on Aug. 23. According to Vogel, she discovered the situation after visiting her daughter in Los Angeles last year, during a period when Panettiere was struggling physically and experiencing significant pain.
Vogel alleged that among the possessions Hickerson pawned was a vintage guitar. She also claimed Panettiere herself was surprised to discover that some of her belongings were being kept in Hickerson’s storage unit.
A second person speaking anonymously to The New York Times corroborated Vogel’s allegation that Hickerson had pawned some of Panettiere’s property.
Hickerson’s representatives decline further comment
In Vogel’s interview with the New York Times, she claimed Panettiere was also shocked to see some of her belongings in his storage unit. Hickerson filed for bankruptcy in 2022./ SplashNews.com
Page Six contacted Hickerson’s attorney, Sloan Ellis, regarding Vogel’s allegations, but his representatives declined to address the claims specifically.
Ellis had previously issued a statement emphasizing that Panettiere’s death remained under investigation and that authorities should be allowed to complete that process before conclusions are drawn.
That distinction remains important. Panettiere died on Aug. 16 in Greenville, South Carolina, at age 36. Police and emergency personnel responded after she was reported unresponsive, but efforts to revive her were unsuccessful.
An autopsy found no trauma that contributed to her death, and investigators said their preliminary findings showed no evidence of foul play or suspicious circumstances. Her official cause and manner of death have not yet been publicly determined.
Panettiere’s mother questions her daughter’s final days
Vogel’s latest allegation comes amid a series of public statements she has made about Hickerson and the circumstances surrounding her daughter’s death.
Hickerson and his brother Zach were at the South Carolina residence when Panettiere was found unresponsive, according to the police report. Zach has said that Brian attempted to help Panettiere after discovering her unconscious, including administering Narcan and performing CPR.
Authorities have not announced that an overdose caused Panettiere’s death. Reports of a possible overdose emerged from emergency dispatch information, but the final cause remains under investigation.
Hickerson himself has largely remained silent publicly since Panettiere’s death. Through his attorney, he has asked that the investigation be allowed to proceed and noted that police have reported no evidence of foul play.
A complicated relationship stretching back years
Panettiere and Hickerson first became romantically involved in 2018, beginning an on-and-off relationship that would become marked by serious personal and legal problems.
Hickerson faced multiple domestic-violence-related cases during their relationship. Panettiere later addressed the abuse she experienced in her 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, which explored her private struggles alongside the pressures she faced after growing up in Hollywood.
Despite their difficult history, Hickerson remained part of Panettiere’s life in the period before her death.
Additional claims have since emerged from people who lived near Panettiere in Los Angeles. Neighbor Mia Terrazas told Page Six that she recalled seeing Panettiere taken from her West Hollywood apartment on a gurney on two occasions, in July 2023 and January 2024.
Terrazas also alleged that she noticed bruising and other marks on the actress at different times. Those observations are the neighbor’s account and have not been established as evidence explaining Panettiere’s death.
Investigation remains ongoing
The new allegations concerning Panettiere’s belongings add another layer to scrutiny surrounding her relationship with Hickerson, but they do not establish what caused her death.
Authorities have so far been clear on two points: the autopsy found no contributing trauma, and investigators have not identified evidence of foul play. The precise cause and manner of Panettiere’s death remain pending as the investigation continues.
For now, Vogel’s claim that Hickerson pawned her daughter’s belongings remains an allegation, albeit one reportedly corroborated by another source interviewed by The New York Times. Hickerson’s representatives have not publicly responded to that specific accusation.