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Friends and family of the late Hayden Panettiere reportedly honored the life and legacy the Nashville alum during a private celebration in Malibu.
Connie Britton, Evan Ross and Ruby Rose were spotted outside the Saturday, September 19, service, according to photos obtained by Page Six. (Us reached out to Panettiere, Britton, Ross and Rose’s respective reps for comment.)
Earlier this week, TMZ reported that around 150 people — including Hayden’s dad, Skip Panettiere — were expected to attend an intimate memorial at a Malibu church. Her loved ones reportedly picked the seaside community in honor of Hayden’s love of marine life. (Hayden was an international ambassador for the Whaleman Foundation, a conservationist charity. She was also memorably featured in the 2009 documentary The Cove, which included dramatic scenes where the actress paddled into the ocean off the coast of Japan to confront dolphin hunters.)
Hayden was found dead at age 36 in a Greenville, South Carolina, residence on August 16. A coroner’s report, which was obtained by Us, determined that there were “no signs of trauma,” though an official cause of death is pending.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen,” Hayden’s father, Skip, 67, told Us in a statement at the time. “We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”
A police report indicated that Hayden’s on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were both at the scene when the actress was found dead. Brian, 37, and Panettiere had a tumultuous relationship that was marred by accusations of domestic violence.
Brian was sentenced to 45 days in county jail in 2021 after pleading no contest to two felony counts of injuring a partner following a 2020 incident in Wyoming. He was also ordered to complete four years of formal probation and 52 domestic violence classes, pay $500 in restitution and obey a five-year protective order as part of his plea.
Hayden Panettiere attends the 21st Annual Critics’ Choice Awards. Jason Kempin/Getty Images for The Critics’ Choice Awards
While Hayden wrote about the volatile nature of their relationship in her 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, she and Brian continued to see each other on-and-off until her death.
Brian broke his silence about Hayden’s shocking death through a statement issued by his lawyer Sloan Ellis on August 20.
“It is important to allow that investigation to proceed,” Brian’s lawyer told Us. “As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play. Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.”
The police investigation into Hayden’s death is ongoing. South Carolina’s Greenville County Coroner’s Office released a statement last week following TMZ’s reporting that Hayden may have taken one oxycodone pill that was laced with fentanyl prior to her death.
Hayden Panettiere was once romantically involved with on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson’s brother before her death. Us understands that Panettiere dated Zach Hickerson in 2019. She and Brian, meanwhile, were together on and off from 2018 to 2020. The Daily Mail was first to report the news alongside photos of Panettiere and Zach holding hands […]
“We have not released anything at this time. We will send out an email release when ready,” the Coroner’s Office confirmed to Fox Carolina on Monday, September 14.
Hayden’s spokesperson subsequently discouraged speculation about the events leading up to the star’s death.
“As reported yesterday by the Greenville County Coroner’s Office, Hayden’s death remains under investigation pending the completion of toxicology results, despite reports from some outlets stating otherwise,” her rep told Us in a statement on Tuesday, September 15. “Recent reports attributed to unnamed sources are unverified hearsay and have attributed to conflicting information that continues to circulate.”
The statement concluded, “While we are all eager to find closure and better understand the circumstances surrounding her passing, we must remain patient and allow the investigative process to unfold. The answers we are all seeking will come.”
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