Aug. 19, 2026
Hayden Panetierre With Abusive Ex At Death; Estranged Mom Speaks Out
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RSS Feed We are learning more details surrounding the sudden and shocking death of 36-year-old Hayden Panetierre. Audio from dispatchers who arrived at the scene are heard describing “cardiac arrest” and “possible overdose." While police reports confirm her on-again-off-again abusive boyfriend, Brian Hickerson was with her at the time of her death, making the 9-1-1 call, Hayden’s mom is speaking out about their relationship. Even though Hayden and her mom were not on speaking terms, she maintains that she and Hayden’s dad had been trying to Hickerson out of Hayden’s life for “quite some time.”
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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Wednesday, August nineteenth, and we are learning more about the details surrounding the death of actress Hayden Penetierre, including who was with her at the time of her death. And with this, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. This is certainly a big point of conversation right now, Robes. A lot of people might not be aware of her dating history, recent dating history, tumultuous, recent dating history. That guy was there, he was the one that plays the call.
00:00:36
Speaker 2: Yes, and this is you mentioned contentious, tumultuous, all of that. Yes, this is her on again, off again boyfriend that she started seeing pretty much as soon as her relationship with her fiance ended and her daughter moved over to Ukraine with her ex fiance, she pretty much immediately took up with this guy, Brian Hickerson is his name, third seven years old. And we're not just saying it was tumultuous. It's documented, there was legal action. This man is a convicted felon because of domestic violence incidents, and I say incidents that are.
00:01:12
Speaker 1: Plural involving Yes, Hayden Panetier, Robes, I wasn't that versed on her background with this guy, But as soon as she passed, a lot of people started bringing his name up, and not in an accusatory way, And we need to make sure we say that off the top. There is no body police included suggesting that this guy is in any way responsible for her death. We need to make that clear. No signs, nothing suspicious according to the authorities. But Robes, they started talking about him, and a lot of people are now surprised to hear they were together in South Carolina, which is where he is originally from.
00:01:57
Speaker 2: Exactly because look, it do seem as though and we're hearing from her mom, whom she wasn't even on speaking terms with at the time of her death, now speaking out but speaking out against Brian Hickerson again, not saying that he's responsible for her death, but frustrated by her daughter's continued involvement with him given all of their history. And I imagine, no matter what, mom, you are out there, you wouldn't want to think that your daughter was still with in a relationship with a man who had beaten her viciously violently multiple times.
00:02:31
Speaker 1: Over a couple of years. We're going to get into more details on that in the moment, but Also, this incident report that is out from the police, just to tell you some of the nuggets that are in there, does list Brian Hickerson, thirty seven year old white male as the complainant. Also witness to is Zach Hickerson. His brother was there as well. The official notes from the police officer and the reports that he was called for a call of a victim unresponsive and said quote ems attempted to perform life life saving methods for an extended amount of time before they called time of death. This was fourteen thirty one hours. The dispatch audio is where we get some word of their possible cardiac arrests or possible overdose. But still the autopsy has done and we do not have an official calls or manner of death. Let's get now, Robes to Brian Hickerson, who placed the call. You explained she started dating this guy almost immediately in twenty eighteen after her split from her fiance. But Robes, they're dating history and it seemed fairly soon after. Tumult is one thing, Robes, violence is another, and this seemed to be a violent relationship.
00:03:41
Speaker 2: Absolutely, And look, he actually ended up pleading no contest in twenty twenty one to two counts of injuring a romantic partner. He was ordered to forty five days in jail. He served thirteen days behind bars, But as soon as last week before her death, he was trying to get his record amended. He wanted to expunge or clean up his criminal records, so to speak. He was working on that and look as a part of his process of going through the adjudication of these types of charges.
00:04:16
Speaker 1: He went through AA. He was.
00:04:20
Speaker 2: Not on parole, but he had a probation officer and he'd been going back for the last several years, so he was supposedly working on himself as well during this period of time. But there were multiple reported incidents of domestic violence issues beyond just the moment where he was actually charged and served those few days in jails for Dan Robes two counts.
00:04:42
Speaker 1: He ended up pleading contests too, but I think there was eight counts against him for incidents that happened over a two year period. This I did not realize Robes, this girl was going through hell, I babe, I did not. I'd seen some headlines here, but then reading up about it today, Robes the incidents that are described the years of this going on. Jesus, it's dark, it's sad.
00:05:08
Speaker 2: Your heart literally breaks for her because while all this is going on, she has a non existent relationship with her mom, and she spoke publicly about it. She wrote about it in her memoir, and she even spoke in one of the last interviews she gave about her memoir that she left a door open, she left a space open.
00:05:26
Speaker 1: She was hopeful that.
00:05:26
Speaker 2: One day she and her mom could have a relationship, that they could finally have that relationship she had always wanted. She described her mom as being this mamager basically like this business manager, and she said at one point she asked her, hey, can we no longer work together because I kind of just really need you to be my mom. And according to Hayden, her mom said to her, you owe me, And she realized she meant financially for all the hard work and years of dedication she spent to fostering and furthering Hayden's career, and that hit her like a gut punch.
00:06:00
Speaker 1: She talked about it, so this young lady who's already had struggles postpartum addiction, like these are things she had talked about openly already she had gone to rehab. We saw this stuff happen to her. And now throw into that, you're dealing in an industry robes that is even on your best day, you're having a bad day. And her daughter is living in across the world from her robes and so she doesn't have her mother either either, And what support system does she have is she's still surrounded by the guy who beat her for years. So I think that part is shocking, and it's that part is tragic, and I don't know what the relationship was, but just as a human being, you go, she's in his she died with him being the person that was near her, this guy. Something about that robes, I can understand that sets people off a little bit.
00:06:59
Speaker 2: I agree because when we first heard word and it was shocking, and it's frankly still is shocking that she's no longer here. But when you imagined the scene, when we heard the initial reports that she was found on responsive, I just imagine she was alone. I actually did not even think for one second there was someone with her. And according to the police reports, when they did show up to that Greenville apartment, it was the brother Zach who answered the door, and they said, you know, we got reports of an unresponsive female. He said, yes, my brother's girlfriend. He referred to her as his brother's girlfriend, not ex girlfriend or friend, but girlfriend. And they also noted that it wasn't until they declared her dead because they did work on her, they did try to revive her. But when they did declare her dead, that is when Hickerson actually showed emotion. Brian Hickerson. They did describe that in the police report, but we don't know how it got to that point. When it was to something in the afternoon, It wasn't even I was thinking when we first heard two o'clock, I thought, in the morning, like that's when you imagine these types of things happening overnight. Someone well, for whatever reason, maybe intentionally or unintentionally, did something out of desperation and despair. But in the middle of the afternoon, that was shocking to me. And to hear she was surrounded or was with two people at the time. How does that take place? How does that occur?
00:08:27
Speaker 1: Maybe we'll hear more about that, But that's because I wondered that they they were they gone and came back and discovered her. Was she asleep and she didn't wake up, and they went and checked on what happened? Who knows?
00:08:38
Speaker 2: And according to reports, they had just flown the day before from Los Angeles to South Carolina. So it just doesn't seem like there was some plan or some intention. I mean, we don't know what was going on, but we're obviously investigators are looking into figuring out the timeline, how things happen, when they happened, what happened, and when we get some of those I mean, we got some details from the off topsy, but there are still so many glaring missing holes as to what happened.
00:09:05
Speaker 1: Which day was this baby that she passed? Was it on Sunday?
00:09:08
Speaker 2: It was Sunday at two pm in the afternoon, So on Saturday, they traveled from LA to South Carolina, according to reports.
00:09:15
Speaker 1: Just so weird. You know, I'm weird like this, bro, It's just a weird I don't know, and you know I know this, and you know why I know it. But when you said two thirty, it triggered this thought. She died at two thirty on August the sixteenth. I always remember Elvis died at three point thirty on August the sixteenth. Wow, forty nine years ago. That's bizarre. It's I don't know, it's just a weird little so close in times. So August sixteenth, they both down the same day, and they were both pronounced dead at around the same time in the afternoon. He was in Memphis, she's in Greenville, South Comeline. I don't know.
00:09:51
Speaker 2: I'm just no, but that is that is a striking coincidence within an hour of each other, forty nine years apart.
00:09:57
Speaker 1: Part I don't get this anyway, I don't know. Yeah, you know that's why you're writ yes, because when you said two thirty, I was like, wait a minute this. And the reason I know that is because my mom's due date with me was August sixteenth, nineteen seventy seven. That was the day Elvis ended up dying. That's why I always know that bit of music history.
00:10:14
Speaker 2: My goodness.
00:10:15
Speaker 1: Wow.
00:10:15
Speaker 2: And look, I'm not even sure what was Elvis's cause of death was.
00:10:19
Speaker 1: I think it was hard a heart attack, a heart.
00:10:21
Speaker 2: Attack, but it had nothing to do with an overdose. It had nothing to do with any complications leading to that heart attack.
00:10:26
Speaker 1: You know, I can't remember where there's official cause of death was listed as if it was listed as an overdose. They might have actually might have been.
00:10:33
Speaker 2: Wow, because this is also a cardiac issue according to police. So that's just so also eerily similar. I mean I never thought about that, but that Yes, I'm not as familiar with the Elvis cause of death and autopsy, but that would read and the official statement from the Greenville Police Department is this, an autopsy was completed. At autopsy, no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death. The cause and manner of death remained pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies. The investigation remains active and ongoing. No further details are available for release at this time. But yeah, when you start to think about what we do know right now and what we know about Elvis's death, that is just a bizarre coincidence.
00:11:21
Speaker 1: His official was, yes, it was cardiac arrest. I remember that part. But yes, they found all kinds of prescription prescription drugs in his system, and they think all that you certainly contributed. I don't know, I just said it a minute.
00:11:33
Speaker 2: That sounds that is familiar, literally exactly what they are saying about Hayden's death right now, Like actually almost forbade them the same robes.
00:11:44
Speaker 1: I want to get to this before we take a little bit of a pause to two quotes from Hayden Penetier about her relationship with this guy. The first one here robes she gave after he was arrested for domestic violence. And there are things here that jumped out at me. And then there's a follow up to that one that certainly will jump out as well. And this I'm not sure what this tells us about where her head was through all this, but the first one was yes, after he was arrested, I think in twenty twenty one.
00:12:17
Speaker 2: The first time, yes, she said, I am coming forward with the truth about what happened to me, with the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve. I'm prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again. I'm grateful for my support system, which helped me find the courage to regain my voice and my life. So yes, she obviously turned him in. She's the reason why he was arrested and served a small amount of time.
00:12:45
Speaker 1: A strong statement the aerobes make sure this man never hurts anyone again. It is what she said about Brian Hickerson, who's called police to say she was unresponsive. This is the guy that was supposed to call and help save her. This guy she's talking about so far five years ago, okay, so follow up then to just four years ago. What she said robes what she said to People magazine about him in twenty twenty two.
00:13:11
Speaker 2: She said, none of it is okay, and I want to make sure that everybody knows that. But I am open to people who are willing to get help and make amends. He's gone to treatment and done his time, and I'm trying to live in a place of forgiveness. That was her explanation, I would imagine for continuing a relationship with him once he got out of prison, she saw him turning his life around, or at least attempting to saying he was sorry.
00:13:39
Speaker 1: But it does.
00:13:42
Speaker 2: It's difficult to get your head around the fact that, given that history, that he was there with her in the role of boyfriend. At least we believe, according to what his brother told police. At the time of her untimely death, she was just thirty six years old.
00:14:01
Speaker 1: Stay here, we're going to share one more quote from her. This is something she shared in a recent interview, and I guess you could call it, I guess part three of the quotes we've shared, and this one certainly gives us more insight to maybe where that relationship was. And also we'll let you hear from her mom, who also shared how she feels about the boyfriend.
00:14:36
Speaker 2: Welcome back everyone to Amy and TJ. We are getting a lot of new details, some new information, and frankly, some real insight into what may have happened to Hayden Pennetier who died shockingly on Sunday at two thirty one PM, and we've just found out that her on again, off again. I don't even know how to describe this. Brian Hickerson, her boyfriend.
00:15:07
Speaker 1: Did domestic violent boyfriend correct?
00:15:10
Speaker 2: That is, I was going to say something to that extent, and I thought it.
00:15:13
Speaker 1: Was actually correct.
00:15:14
Speaker 2: Maybe it was too harsh, but no, that is exactly what he was, even at the time of her death. And you can see in her statements about him and what happened, how she went from saying I demand justice and I'm going to make sure he never hurts anyone again to saying I'm a forgiving person. I'm here to acknowledge that people can change and become better people. And then this most recent interview, she was.
00:15:40
Speaker 1: In an interview on a podcast robe and she was sharing journal entries from her time, I guess, and things about Brian Hickerson. And so that's why I kind of did him in sequence and robes you see here. I mean, just what she was going through, what her heart was going through, with her head. I mean, this.
00:15:57
Speaker 2: Sounds like she really loved this guy, even though he physically and I would imagine emotionally abused her for many many years. And I feel like this next quote, unfortunately, will probably resonate with a lot of women, with a lot of women out there, she said, I desperately wanted to make him a better person. I wanted to fix him. I'm a really strong person at my core, and anyone who knows me was shocked that I would ever allow anything like this to happen. That is such I just got chills. That is such a common response from women who have been abused. They on the outside look like strong, kick ass independent women, and not that they aren't, but somehow there's this vulnerability when you love someone, when you want someone to love you, this desire to forgive, to assume the best, to hope they've changed. I think so many women can absolutely relate with that feeling.
00:16:55
Speaker 1: And that's where she was and those things you list that makes you make you feel loved and you hope for this and that. But Robes, the other thing that factors in is a lot of these women do see genuine good and there are good traits or can be good traits, and a guy who also raises his hand a woman is trying to balance that out right. He had two bad days out of this month, but hey, I'm gonna focus on those twenty eight good days and not the two in which he injured me. What was she dealing with, Robes? Do we go back to twenty that from twenty twenty one saying I am gonna make sure I'm sharing my story. He should never hurt anybody to him being the one there to potentially save her. She had him in her life still in that intimate way. Now, I don't know what he's going through and the forgiveness and all that. Can that happen? I guess yes, Robes, I would like to hope it could. And if she accepted it then she accepted it. Robes. But this guy clearly had been bad news in her life.
00:18:10
Speaker 2: Yes, and we are hearing now for the first time directly from Hayden's own mother, and again like so this was Look we've detailed before, and I think anyone who has looked into Hayden's life, No, she was a child actress. When we say a child actress, she started performing or being paid as an actor, starting at eight months old. And if you look at her long list of contributions to the acting world, I mean they just it never stopped. She was a working actress from eight months on. This wasn't just a one off. She was in multiple commercials, TV shows, movies, and it continued. And who was behind the scenes the entire time managing her career her mother?
00:18:56
Speaker 1: Was she a like a successful long running actress soap operas? Does she have like a starring role? Her mother?
00:19:03
Speaker 2: Her mom wasn't did something on so she I'm not that familiar with her career, but she was an actress. But no, Hayden obviously was the star. And it was almost Look we see this all the time where you've got the stage mom and the mom whose career didn't make it to where she wanted it to go. And so she relives her lost fame or her what she wanted for herself, and she she puts it into her daughter, and she pushes her daughter, and she supports her daughter to follow her dream. And that does seem like this is what happened in this case, not that Hayden didn't want to be an actress, not that Hayden wasn't a phenomenal actress. I think everyone who's worked with her, and certainly who have enjoyed her shows and her movies would agree she was a talented young woman. But no one decides if they want to be an actress at eight months old. No one decides at five that they want to keep acting. No, the mom is was the fuel behind the catalyst and the fuel behind her career period.
00:20:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, I just saw, I didn't I just make sure I didn't miss she was some star and some show I didn't watch.
00:20:06
Speaker 2: Into seventeen now, But then, yes, it's so sad to see someone who was that invested in her daughter's career to no longer be a part of her daughter's life.
00:20:16
Speaker 1: How long did you get a sense of how long it's been years? Oh?
00:20:19
Speaker 2: It's been it's been quite some time, I believe. I mean, I've seen pictures of them throughout the years, but it seems like it had been several several years, and certainly this past May, when she went on her book tour and started speaking about what was in her book, she made it very clear that she and her mom were no longer on speaking to terms sucks, totally sucks. And yes, her mom did speak to NBC News over the phone, and we have some quotes from that interview where we hear from her saying, this person in her life that we have been trying to get rid of for quite some time was with her at her death, and that was Brian Hickerson. And when she says we, she mean she and her dad, Hayden's dad's skip, which by the way, she apparently had a very close relationship with. So look, we talk about who she had in her life, who could have supported her, who was well intentioned and had her best interest at heart. Her father, at least, she had him in her life even at the end. They never they remained close by all accounts, but her mom went on to say, I think Hayden was an amazingly talented person in so many departments. And I think young people who grow up in the entertainment industry, it is a struggle, and it's a very challenging industry, and it's not unusual for them to sadly find the wrong path. I think it becomes very difficult to be true to yourself, and I think Hayden sadly lost her way, and I wish it were different. I wish she had stayed true to herself because she had many incredible attributes.
00:21:49
Speaker 1: Thought that was so cold. I was just about to say, yeah, she could really use her mom.
00:21:54
Speaker 2: She only talked about her talent and her career.
00:21:57
Speaker 1: Now my sweet baby girl.
00:21:59
Speaker 2: And what she pred like. It wasn't about who she was, it was about what she did. I just that statement, right there was fairly chilling to me.
00:22:08
Speaker 1: Well, it shows, yes, they didn't have their relationship. She spoke of her not as a child, my baby, my little baby. She spoke of her as exactly what you called her. Right. She was a commodity. She was the thing living vicariously, is what they.
00:22:25
Speaker 2: Say, right, Yes, yes, and that I mean, I just thought that was one of the most bizarre comments you could make in the days after a tragic death of your thirty six year old daughter.
00:22:42
Speaker 1: That headline I talked about in a variety was it variety? Yeah? How Hollywood failed Hayden panetier. As more things are coming out, I'm learning more. I'm like, you can add this person to the list. You can add this person to the list that failed this young lady.
00:22:57
Speaker 2: And yet it's so interesting to hear that kind of cold, industry sounding response from her own mother, I will say, and I think it's fair to point out it feels like every single person who worked with Hayden had nothing but beautiful things to say about her. And even even her ex fiance, who was raising her daughter, gave a beautiful tribute to her on Instagram, and I actually just wanted to read a little bit of it because this, to me, spoke of love. Even though they were no longer together, I still felt his love for her, he said. The announcement of Hayden's tragic death saddens me deeply. She left this world far too soon. Hayden was, although no longer my partner, an important part of my life and the mother of our daughter Kaya. She built an incredible career through immense talent while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry. Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives. To our daughter, Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was. I extend my deepest condolences to Hayden's parents, her friends, and her fans who are also grieving today. Young and talented people like Hayden should not leave this world so soon. Yes for privacy, and he thanked everyone who gave their condolences. But I thought that was a very beautiful tribute to someone who I'm sure had a contentious relationship with her.
00:24:27
Speaker 1: Okay, Roaps, we've talked about three people in her life, a mom, her boyfriend, and her ex fiance the ex fiance who lost her to this current boyfriend. Of those three people we talked about, the one you would think that would have less of a glowing, loving statement would be who X And that's a damn shame and tells you maybe how things were going. Roades would symbolize what was going on in her life that he is the one that's close to her that has to put out the loving statement, not Mama, and not the guy who found her, not the guy who was with her, because he was the guy who was beating her for two years. That's a tough, tough, tough stuff and a tough life. Look up at the screen and life, smile and she is awesome in the screen movies and all this. We just don't know what these people are going through. We don't pease Christ, we don't.
00:25:22
Speaker 2: And I think maybe the only silver lining is something that her mom did say, and a lot of people have referenced. She lost her younger brother tragically to an enlarged heart. He was twenty eight years old. This was just back in twenty twenty three, and he was her only sibling and by her account and all accounts, they were extremely close. And so her mom said, what gives her piece is knowing that they are together now, the two of them, And that is perhaps maybe the only way you can look at it, because there's nothing that gives anybody a lot of peace or comfort given what we're learning about Hayden's death and frankly for recent life, we wish.
00:26:02
Speaker 1: All the people who loved her and knew her the very best.
00:26:04
Speaker 2: But certainly everyone is grieving and a lot of people are waiting for more answers as to how and why she died and without everyone. We always appreciate you listening to us. I may need robot alongside t J.
00:26:16
Speaker 1: Holmes. We'll talk soon.
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Wednesday, August nineteenth, and we are learning more about the details surrounding the death of actress Hayden Penetierre, including who was with her at the time of her death. And with this, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. This is certainly a big point of conversation right now, Robes. A lot of people might not be aware of her dating history, recent dating history, tumultuous, recent dating history. That guy was there, he was the one that plays the call.
00:00:36
Speaker 2: Yes, and this is you mentioned contentious, tumultuous, all of that. Yes, this is her on again, off again boyfriend that she started seeing pretty much as soon as her relationship with her fiance ended and her daughter moved over to Ukraine with her ex fiance, she pretty much immediately took up with this guy, Brian Hickerson is his name, third seven years old. And we're not just saying it was tumultuous. It's documented, there was legal action. This man is a convicted felon because of domestic violence incidents, and I say incidents that are.
00:01:12
Speaker 1: Plural involving Yes, Hayden Panetier, Robes, I wasn't that versed on her background with this guy, But as soon as she passed, a lot of people started bringing his name up, and not in an accusatory way, And we need to make sure we say that off the top. There is no body police included suggesting that this guy is in any way responsible for her death. We need to make that clear. No signs, nothing suspicious according to the authorities. But Robes, they started talking about him, and a lot of people are now surprised to hear they were together in South Carolina, which is where he is originally from.
00:01:57
Speaker 2: Exactly because look, it do seem as though and we're hearing from her mom, whom she wasn't even on speaking terms with at the time of her death, now speaking out but speaking out against Brian Hickerson again, not saying that he's responsible for her death, but frustrated by her daughter's continued involvement with him given all of their history. And I imagine, no matter what, mom, you are out there, you wouldn't want to think that your daughter was still with in a relationship with a man who had beaten her viciously violently multiple times.
00:02:31
Speaker 1: Over a couple of years. We're going to get into more details on that in the moment, but Also, this incident report that is out from the police, just to tell you some of the nuggets that are in there, does list Brian Hickerson, thirty seven year old white male as the complainant. Also witness to is Zach Hickerson. His brother was there as well. The official notes from the police officer and the reports that he was called for a call of a victim unresponsive and said quote ems attempted to perform life life saving methods for an extended amount of time before they called time of death. This was fourteen thirty one hours. The dispatch audio is where we get some word of their possible cardiac arrests or possible overdose. But still the autopsy has done and we do not have an official calls or manner of death. Let's get now, Robes to Brian Hickerson, who placed the call. You explained she started dating this guy almost immediately in twenty eighteen after her split from her fiance. But Robes, they're dating history and it seemed fairly soon after. Tumult is one thing, Robes, violence is another, and this seemed to be a violent relationship.
00:03:41
Speaker 2: Absolutely, And look, he actually ended up pleading no contest in twenty twenty one to two counts of injuring a romantic partner. He was ordered to forty five days in jail. He served thirteen days behind bars, But as soon as last week before her death, he was trying to get his record amended. He wanted to expunge or clean up his criminal records, so to speak. He was working on that and look as a part of his process of going through the adjudication of these types of charges.
00:04:16
Speaker 1: He went through AA. He was.
00:04:20
Speaker 2: Not on parole, but he had a probation officer and he'd been going back for the last several years, so he was supposedly working on himself as well during this period of time. But there were multiple reported incidents of domestic violence issues beyond just the moment where he was actually charged and served those few days in jails for Dan Robes two counts.
00:04:42
Speaker 1: He ended up pleading contests too, but I think there was eight counts against him for incidents that happened over a two year period. This I did not realize Robes, this girl was going through hell, I babe, I did not. I'd seen some headlines here, but then reading up about it today, Robes the incidents that are described the years of this going on. Jesus, it's dark, it's sad.
00:05:08
Speaker 2: Your heart literally breaks for her because while all this is going on, she has a non existent relationship with her mom, and she spoke publicly about it. She wrote about it in her memoir, and she even spoke in one of the last interviews she gave about her memoir that she left a door open, she left a space open.
00:05:26
Speaker 1: She was hopeful that.
00:05:26
Speaker 2: One day she and her mom could have a relationship, that they could finally have that relationship she had always wanted. She described her mom as being this mamager basically like this business manager, and she said at one point she asked her, hey, can we no longer work together because I kind of just really need you to be my mom. And according to Hayden, her mom said to her, you owe me, And she realized she meant financially for all the hard work and years of dedication she spent to fostering and furthering Hayden's career, and that hit her like a gut punch.
00:06:00
Speaker 1: She talked about it, so this young lady who's already had struggles postpartum addiction, like these are things she had talked about openly already she had gone to rehab. We saw this stuff happen to her. And now throw into that, you're dealing in an industry robes that is even on your best day, you're having a bad day. And her daughter is living in across the world from her robes and so she doesn't have her mother either either, And what support system does she have is she's still surrounded by the guy who beat her for years. So I think that part is shocking, and it's that part is tragic, and I don't know what the relationship was, but just as a human being, you go, she's in his she died with him being the person that was near her, this guy. Something about that robes, I can understand that sets people off a little bit.
00:06:59
Speaker 2: I agree because when we first heard word and it was shocking, and it's frankly still is shocking that she's no longer here. But when you imagined the scene, when we heard the initial reports that she was found on responsive, I just imagine she was alone. I actually did not even think for one second there was someone with her. And according to the police reports, when they did show up to that Greenville apartment, it was the brother Zach who answered the door, and they said, you know, we got reports of an unresponsive female. He said, yes, my brother's girlfriend. He referred to her as his brother's girlfriend, not ex girlfriend or friend, but girlfriend. And they also noted that it wasn't until they declared her dead because they did work on her, they did try to revive her. But when they did declare her dead, that is when Hickerson actually showed emotion. Brian Hickerson. They did describe that in the police report, but we don't know how it got to that point. When it was to something in the afternoon, It wasn't even I was thinking when we first heard two o'clock, I thought, in the morning, like that's when you imagine these types of things happening overnight. Someone well, for whatever reason, maybe intentionally or unintentionally, did something out of desperation and despair. But in the middle of the afternoon, that was shocking to me. And to hear she was surrounded or was with two people at the time. How does that take place? How does that occur?
00:08:27
Speaker 1: Maybe we'll hear more about that, But that's because I wondered that they they were they gone and came back and discovered her. Was she asleep and she didn't wake up, and they went and checked on what happened? Who knows?
00:08:38
Speaker 2: And according to reports, they had just flown the day before from Los Angeles to South Carolina. So it just doesn't seem like there was some plan or some intention. I mean, we don't know what was going on, but we're obviously investigators are looking into figuring out the timeline, how things happen, when they happened, what happened, and when we get some of those I mean, we got some details from the off topsy, but there are still so many glaring missing holes as to what happened.
00:09:05
Speaker 1: Which day was this baby that she passed? Was it on Sunday?
00:09:08
Speaker 2: It was Sunday at two pm in the afternoon, So on Saturday, they traveled from LA to South Carolina, according to reports.
00:09:15
Speaker 1: Just so weird. You know, I'm weird like this, bro, It's just a weird I don't know, and you know I know this, and you know why I know it. But when you said two thirty, it triggered this thought. She died at two thirty on August the sixteenth. I always remember Elvis died at three point thirty on August the sixteenth. Wow, forty nine years ago. That's bizarre. It's I don't know, it's just a weird little so close in times. So August sixteenth, they both down the same day, and they were both pronounced dead at around the same time in the afternoon. He was in Memphis, she's in Greenville, South Comeline. I don't know.
00:09:51
Speaker 2: I'm just no, but that is that is a striking coincidence within an hour of each other, forty nine years apart.
00:09:57
Speaker 1: Part I don't get this anyway, I don't know. Yeah, you know that's why you're writ yes, because when you said two thirty, I was like, wait a minute this. And the reason I know that is because my mom's due date with me was August sixteenth, nineteen seventy seven. That was the day Elvis ended up dying. That's why I always know that bit of music history.
00:10:14
Speaker 2: My goodness.
00:10:15
Speaker 1: Wow.
00:10:15
Speaker 2: And look, I'm not even sure what was Elvis's cause of death was.
00:10:19
Speaker 1: I think it was hard a heart attack, a heart.
00:10:21
Speaker 2: Attack, but it had nothing to do with an overdose. It had nothing to do with any complications leading to that heart attack.
00:10:26
Speaker 1: You know, I can't remember where there's official cause of death was listed as if it was listed as an overdose. They might have actually might have been.
00:10:33
Speaker 2: Wow, because this is also a cardiac issue according to police. So that's just so also eerily similar. I mean I never thought about that, but that Yes, I'm not as familiar with the Elvis cause of death and autopsy, but that would read and the official statement from the Greenville Police Department is this, an autopsy was completed. At autopsy, no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death. The cause and manner of death remained pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies. The investigation remains active and ongoing. No further details are available for release at this time. But yeah, when you start to think about what we do know right now and what we know about Elvis's death, that is just a bizarre coincidence.
00:11:21
Speaker 1: His official was, yes, it was cardiac arrest. I remember that part. But yes, they found all kinds of prescription prescription drugs in his system, and they think all that you certainly contributed. I don't know, I just said it a minute.
00:11:33
Speaker 2: That sounds that is familiar, literally exactly what they are saying about Hayden's death right now, Like actually almost forbade them the same robes.
00:11:44
Speaker 1: I want to get to this before we take a little bit of a pause to two quotes from Hayden Penetier about her relationship with this guy. The first one here robes she gave after he was arrested for domestic violence. And there are things here that jumped out at me. And then there's a follow up to that one that certainly will jump out as well. And this I'm not sure what this tells us about where her head was through all this, but the first one was yes, after he was arrested, I think in twenty twenty one.
00:12:17
Speaker 2: The first time, yes, she said, I am coming forward with the truth about what happened to me, with the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve. I'm prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again. I'm grateful for my support system, which helped me find the courage to regain my voice and my life. So yes, she obviously turned him in. She's the reason why he was arrested and served a small amount of time.
00:12:45
Speaker 1: A strong statement the aerobes make sure this man never hurts anyone again. It is what she said about Brian Hickerson, who's called police to say she was unresponsive. This is the guy that was supposed to call and help save her. This guy she's talking about so far five years ago, okay, so follow up then to just four years ago. What she said robes what she said to People magazine about him in twenty twenty two.
00:13:11
Speaker 2: She said, none of it is okay, and I want to make sure that everybody knows that. But I am open to people who are willing to get help and make amends. He's gone to treatment and done his time, and I'm trying to live in a place of forgiveness. That was her explanation, I would imagine for continuing a relationship with him once he got out of prison, she saw him turning his life around, or at least attempting to saying he was sorry.
00:13:39
Speaker 1: But it does.
00:13:42
Speaker 2: It's difficult to get your head around the fact that, given that history, that he was there with her in the role of boyfriend. At least we believe, according to what his brother told police. At the time of her untimely death, she was just thirty six years old.
00:14:01
Speaker 1: Stay here, we're going to share one more quote from her. This is something she shared in a recent interview, and I guess you could call it, I guess part three of the quotes we've shared, and this one certainly gives us more insight to maybe where that relationship was. And also we'll let you hear from her mom, who also shared how she feels about the boyfriend.
00:14:36
Speaker 2: Welcome back everyone to Amy and TJ. We are getting a lot of new details, some new information, and frankly, some real insight into what may have happened to Hayden Pennetier who died shockingly on Sunday at two thirty one PM, and we've just found out that her on again, off again. I don't even know how to describe this. Brian Hickerson, her boyfriend.
00:15:07
Speaker 1: Did domestic violent boyfriend correct?
00:15:10
Speaker 2: That is, I was going to say something to that extent, and I thought it.
00:15:13
Speaker 1: Was actually correct.
00:15:14
Speaker 2: Maybe it was too harsh, but no, that is exactly what he was, even at the time of her death. And you can see in her statements about him and what happened, how she went from saying I demand justice and I'm going to make sure he never hurts anyone again to saying I'm a forgiving person. I'm here to acknowledge that people can change and become better people. And then this most recent interview, she was.
00:15:40
Speaker 1: In an interview on a podcast robe and she was sharing journal entries from her time, I guess, and things about Brian Hickerson. And so that's why I kind of did him in sequence and robes you see here. I mean, just what she was going through, what her heart was going through, with her head. I mean, this.
00:15:57
Speaker 2: Sounds like she really loved this guy, even though he physically and I would imagine emotionally abused her for many many years. And I feel like this next quote, unfortunately, will probably resonate with a lot of women, with a lot of women out there, she said, I desperately wanted to make him a better person. I wanted to fix him. I'm a really strong person at my core, and anyone who knows me was shocked that I would ever allow anything like this to happen. That is such I just got chills. That is such a common response from women who have been abused. They on the outside look like strong, kick ass independent women, and not that they aren't, but somehow there's this vulnerability when you love someone, when you want someone to love you, this desire to forgive, to assume the best, to hope they've changed. I think so many women can absolutely relate with that feeling.
00:16:55
Speaker 1: And that's where she was and those things you list that makes you make you feel loved and you hope for this and that. But Robes, the other thing that factors in is a lot of these women do see genuine good and there are good traits or can be good traits, and a guy who also raises his hand a woman is trying to balance that out right. He had two bad days out of this month, but hey, I'm gonna focus on those twenty eight good days and not the two in which he injured me. What was she dealing with, Robes? Do we go back to twenty that from twenty twenty one saying I am gonna make sure I'm sharing my story. He should never hurt anybody to him being the one there to potentially save her. She had him in her life still in that intimate way. Now, I don't know what he's going through and the forgiveness and all that. Can that happen? I guess yes, Robes, I would like to hope it could. And if she accepted it then she accepted it. Robes. But this guy clearly had been bad news in her life.
00:18:10
Speaker 2: Yes, and we are hearing now for the first time directly from Hayden's own mother, and again like so this was Look we've detailed before, and I think anyone who has looked into Hayden's life, No, she was a child actress. When we say a child actress, she started performing or being paid as an actor, starting at eight months old. And if you look at her long list of contributions to the acting world, I mean they just it never stopped. She was a working actress from eight months on. This wasn't just a one off. She was in multiple commercials, TV shows, movies, and it continued. And who was behind the scenes the entire time managing her career her mother?
00:18:56
Speaker 1: Was she a like a successful long running actress soap operas? Does she have like a starring role? Her mother?
00:19:03
Speaker 2: Her mom wasn't did something on so she I'm not that familiar with her career, but she was an actress. But no, Hayden obviously was the star. And it was almost Look we see this all the time where you've got the stage mom and the mom whose career didn't make it to where she wanted it to go. And so she relives her lost fame or her what she wanted for herself, and she she puts it into her daughter, and she pushes her daughter, and she supports her daughter to follow her dream. And that does seem like this is what happened in this case, not that Hayden didn't want to be an actress, not that Hayden wasn't a phenomenal actress. I think everyone who's worked with her, and certainly who have enjoyed her shows and her movies would agree she was a talented young woman. But no one decides if they want to be an actress at eight months old. No one decides at five that they want to keep acting. No, the mom is was the fuel behind the catalyst and the fuel behind her career period.
00:20:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, I just saw, I didn't I just make sure I didn't miss she was some star and some show I didn't watch.
00:20:06
Speaker 2: Into seventeen now, But then, yes, it's so sad to see someone who was that invested in her daughter's career to no longer be a part of her daughter's life.
00:20:16
Speaker 1: How long did you get a sense of how long it's been years? Oh?
00:20:19
Speaker 2: It's been it's been quite some time, I believe. I mean, I've seen pictures of them throughout the years, but it seems like it had been several several years, and certainly this past May, when she went on her book tour and started speaking about what was in her book, she made it very clear that she and her mom were no longer on speaking to terms sucks, totally sucks. And yes, her mom did speak to NBC News over the phone, and we have some quotes from that interview where we hear from her saying, this person in her life that we have been trying to get rid of for quite some time was with her at her death, and that was Brian Hickerson. And when she says we, she mean she and her dad, Hayden's dad's skip, which by the way, she apparently had a very close relationship with. So look, we talk about who she had in her life, who could have supported her, who was well intentioned and had her best interest at heart. Her father, at least, she had him in her life even at the end. They never they remained close by all accounts, but her mom went on to say, I think Hayden was an amazingly talented person in so many departments. And I think young people who grow up in the entertainment industry, it is a struggle, and it's a very challenging industry, and it's not unusual for them to sadly find the wrong path. I think it becomes very difficult to be true to yourself, and I think Hayden sadly lost her way, and I wish it were different. I wish she had stayed true to herself because she had many incredible attributes.
00:21:49
Speaker 1: Thought that was so cold. I was just about to say, yeah, she could really use her mom.
00:21:54
Speaker 2: She only talked about her talent and her career.
00:21:57
Speaker 1: Now my sweet baby girl.
00:21:59
Speaker 2: And what she pred like. It wasn't about who she was, it was about what she did. I just that statement, right there was fairly chilling to me.
00:22:08
Speaker 1: Well, it shows, yes, they didn't have their relationship. She spoke of her not as a child, my baby, my little baby. She spoke of her as exactly what you called her. Right. She was a commodity. She was the thing living vicariously, is what they.
00:22:25
Speaker 2: Say, right, Yes, yes, and that I mean, I just thought that was one of the most bizarre comments you could make in the days after a tragic death of your thirty six year old daughter.
00:22:42
Speaker 1: That headline I talked about in a variety was it variety? Yeah? How Hollywood failed Hayden panetier. As more things are coming out, I'm learning more. I'm like, you can add this person to the list. You can add this person to the list that failed this young lady.
00:22:57
Speaker 2: And yet it's so interesting to hear that kind of cold, industry sounding response from her own mother, I will say, and I think it's fair to point out it feels like every single person who worked with Hayden had nothing but beautiful things to say about her. And even even her ex fiance, who was raising her daughter, gave a beautiful tribute to her on Instagram, and I actually just wanted to read a little bit of it because this, to me, spoke of love. Even though they were no longer together, I still felt his love for her, he said. The announcement of Hayden's tragic death saddens me deeply. She left this world far too soon. Hayden was, although no longer my partner, an important part of my life and the mother of our daughter Kaya. She built an incredible career through immense talent while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry. Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives. To our daughter, Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was. I extend my deepest condolences to Hayden's parents, her friends, and her fans who are also grieving today. Young and talented people like Hayden should not leave this world so soon. Yes for privacy, and he thanked everyone who gave their condolences. But I thought that was a very beautiful tribute to someone who I'm sure had a contentious relationship with her.
00:24:27
Speaker 1: Okay, Roaps, we've talked about three people in her life, a mom, her boyfriend, and her ex fiance the ex fiance who lost her to this current boyfriend. Of those three people we talked about, the one you would think that would have less of a glowing, loving statement would be who X And that's a damn shame and tells you maybe how things were going. Roades would symbolize what was going on in her life that he is the one that's close to her that has to put out the loving statement, not Mama, and not the guy who found her, not the guy who was with her, because he was the guy who was beating her for two years. That's a tough, tough, tough stuff and a tough life. Look up at the screen and life, smile and she is awesome in the screen movies and all this. We just don't know what these people are going through. We don't pease Christ, we don't.
00:25:22
Speaker 2: And I think maybe the only silver lining is something that her mom did say, and a lot of people have referenced. She lost her younger brother tragically to an enlarged heart. He was twenty eight years old. This was just back in twenty twenty three, and he was her only sibling and by her account and all accounts, they were extremely close. And so her mom said, what gives her piece is knowing that they are together now, the two of them, And that is perhaps maybe the only way you can look at it, because there's nothing that gives anybody a lot of peace or comfort given what we're learning about Hayden's death and frankly for recent life, we wish.
00:26:02
Speaker 1: All the people who loved her and knew her the very best.
00:26:04
Speaker 2: But certainly everyone is grieving and a lot of people are waiting for more answers as to how and why she died and without everyone. We always appreciate you listening to us. I may need robot alongside t J.
00:26:16
Speaker 1: Holmes. We'll talk soon.