Filmmaker Griff Furst, who directed Hayden Panettiere in one of her final films, indicated that her team had considered organizing an intervention before her untimely passing.
According to Furst, Panettiere was “struggling to maintain her sobriety” during the production of the 2025 film A Breed Apart, and she brought her on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson to the set.
“After the interview, I kept in touch with her team, and we eventually decided she might need an intervention. They asked me to be involved, and I agreed,” Furst shared with his Instagram followers on Wednesday.
“That intervention never took place, at least as far as I know,” he admitted. “I wasn’t the one leading it, and I didn’t deserve to.”
In light of Panettiere’s death, Furst noted that many have questioned him about Hickerson, who had been with Panettiere at the time she passed away in Greenville, South Carolina.
“I can only say that I witnessed things with her boyfriend Brian Hickerson when it happened and documented my observations,” he commented. “Hayden’s mother indicated that there was someone she had been trying to distance herself from for a long time, and that person was with her on the day she died.”
Furst expressed that he wasn’t present in South Carolina and could only share his perspective, which was based on his experiences while working on set. “It’s about someone grappling with sobriety who deserves better company than what I saw,” he reflected.
He directed A Breed Apart, where Panettiere portrayed a fictional version of herself in a suspenseful scenario involving survival on an island populated by aggressive dogs.
“I was fortunate to have worked with Hayden. I truly wish she were still here,” he concluded.
On Sunday, emergency services responded to a report of a victim in “cardiac arrest” and attempted CPR for an “overdose,” as recorded in a 911 call obtained later. They also utilized “advanced cardiac life support” techniques but pronounced her dead at 2:32 p.m. local time. She was just 36 years old.
A police report obtained revealed that Brian was accompanied by his brother, Zach Hickerson, when he showed authorities a “bag of drugs” he had used.
There remains uncertainty regarding the substance involved, but Panettiere’s hairdresser and close friend Eric Orellana disclosed that the actress had been dealing with significant back pain in the months prior to her death.
She had previously been candid about her battle with addiction, stating in a 2022 interview that there was a period when she “couldn’t live” without alcohol and opioids.
The exact cause of her death is still undetermined. An autopsy revealed no “signs of trauma.”
Interestingly, Panettiere and Brian had flown from California just the day before her passing. The two had a tumultuous relationship, dating on and off since 2018, and had recently reconvened weeks prior to the tragedy.
A source mentioned that, although Brian faced several arrests related to domestic violence against Hayden, he always managed to re-enter her life, often being described as “a real jerk.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
