Hayden Panettiere, the actress best known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville, navigated a series of public relationships over nearly two decades before her death on August 16, 2026, at the age of 36. Her romantic life often drew intense media attention, ranging from early Hollywood pairings to a long engagement with a boxing champion and a later partnership marked by serious allegations of abuse. In the months leading up to her passing, reports described an on-and-off connection with Brian Hickerson, the man with whom she had a highly publicized and turbulent history.
Details surrounding her final days remain limited, but multiple outlets noted that Hickerson traveled with her out of Los Angeles the day before she died. While Panettiere had publicly described herself as single earlier in 2026—calling herself her own “romantic partner”—some coverage after her death referred to Hickerson as her boyfriend or on-again, off-again partner. Her father confirmed her passing and asked for privacy; the cause of death has not been publicly detailed.
A Timeline of Notable Boyfriends and Exes
Hayden Panettiere’s earliest widely reported romance was with Laguna Beach and One Tree Hill actor Stephen Colletti around 2006–2007. The pair, both rising young stars at the time, parted ways without major public drama. She later reflected on the relationship as relatively straightforward and free of lasting conflict.
Actress Hayden Panettiere has died at age 36 pic.twitter.com/xcDnnyeLcn
— internet hall of fame (@InternetH0F) August 17, 2026
From 2007 to 2009, she dated her Heroes co-star Milo Ventimiglia. Their relationship attracted scrutiny because of a significant age gap—she was 18, and he was about 30 when they began seeing each other. In later interviews and her 2026 memoir, Panettiere spoke about investing fully in the partnership and initially viewing it as potentially leading to marriage, though it ultimately ended.
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After that split, she began an on-and-off relationship with Ukrainian heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko in 2009. They became engaged in 2013 and welcomed a daughter, Kaya, in 2014. The couple separated for good around 2018 after nearly a decade together, but they maintained a cooperative co-parenting relationship. During a temporary break from Klitschko, Panettiere was briefly linked to former NFL player Scotty McKnight in 2011–2012. In 2026, she also publicly identified as bisexual and acknowledged past relationships with women, though she kept most of those private.
Brian Hickerson and the Abuse Allegations
Brian Hickerson entered Hayden Panettiere’s life in 2018, shortly after her final split from Klitschko. Their relationship was described as on-and-off for several years and became defined by domestic violence incidents. Hickerson was arrested multiple times in connection with alleged abuse of Panettiere. In 2021, he pleaded no contest to felony charges related to injuring her, served time in jail, received probation, and was subject to a protective order.
Panettiere addressed the relationship in her 2026 memoir and interviews, describing physical and emotional abuse and calling the experience humiliating and difficult to discuss. Hickerson himself later acknowledged the arrests and his behavior in interviews, expressing regret while stating that the two had reached a place of mutual respect.
By early 2026 the pair were photographed together, including at an airport, though Panettiere’s representatives clarified at one point that they were not romantically involved and remained friends. In May 2026 she laughed off any suggestion of marriage with him. Nevertheless, reports following her death indicated Hickerson was with her shortly beforehand and referred to him in some accounts as her boyfriend.
Panettiere never married. Her public relationships reflected both the glamour and the pressures of early fame, along with personal struggles she later discussed openly, including mental health and addiction issues. She is survived by her daughter, Kaya, with whom she shared a close bond despite living on different continents in later years.
