Lesley Vogel never trusted him.
From the beginning, Hayden Panettiere’s mother suspected Brian Hickerson’s intentions, the man with whom her daughter had an on-again, off-again relationship marked by three arrests for domestic violence. Vogel had distanced herself from Hayden, trying to keep her away from him, but when her daughter began suffering from unexplained physical pain last year in Los Angeles, she dropped everything and traveled to care for her.
There, according to what she told The New York Times, she confirmed what she feared: Hickerson had pawned Hayden’s belongings, including a vintage guitar, and was keeping other things of hers in a storage unit without her knowing. The actress herself was surprised to discover it.
Hayden Panettiere, 36, was found dead on August 16, 2026, in Greenville, South Carolina, at Hickerson’s house. The cause of death remains under investigation, with the DEA involved and toxicology results pending. Her mother can now only wonder how much more she might have been able to prevent.