Sept. 17, 2026
Hayden Panettiere’s Rep Speaks Out Over “Unverified Hearsay And Conflicting Reports”
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RSS Feed The representative for the late Hayden Panettiere felt the need to release a second statement in the aftermath of the young actress’s shocking death. Panettiere’s spokesperson spoke out after several reports have circulated this week suggesting that the 36-year-old may have died from a single, black market oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl. The statement urges people to remain patient and insists the answers “we are all seeking will come.” Meantime, Panettiere’s ex, Brian Hickerson, was confronted by a photo journalist after his messy outburst at North Carolina Wild Wings restaurant.
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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Thursday, September 17th, and we are hearing from a representative from the camp of Hayden Panettiere, the actress who died last month. The statement was put out to clear up speculation, to clear up confusion surrounding her death. It did the opposite. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. I guess it was well-intentioned? Roe says just so much is not a lot. We know for sure. So there's a lot of speculation, but the statement didn't clear anything up.
00:00:39
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it's been interesting.
00:00:40
Speaker 3: We've had a week of a lot of statements and it seems like sometimes they do more harm than good. And This one is the second statement that we have gotten since Hayden Panettiere died on August 16th. And I was actually curious, who is speaking on her behalf? We've heard her mother speak out. We've heard her father speak out.
00:01:01
Speaker 1: We know it's not her mama.
00:01:02
Speaker 2: So, yeah, we know that this.
00:01:04
Speaker 3: But I'm just curious, when someone passes and you've got a public relations representative issuing statements on that client who has passed, who's greenlighting these statements? Who's asking these statements to be made on whose behalf?
00:01:24
Speaker 2: I think it's really, I have questions.
00:01:26
Speaker 3: Casey Kitchen is her name, that is, and that was her PR rep, but I don't know who's saying, hey, Casey Kitchen, let's pay you to release statements the death investigation of Hayden Panettiere.
00:01:40
Speaker 1: The dad's statement was what? You don't have to read it now, but just a general idea was what?
00:01:43
Speaker 3: The dad's statement was just talking about how she was the light of the world and that the world is not as great of a place without his beautiful daughter in it.
00:01:52
Speaker 2: It was very personal. That was it.
00:01:54
Speaker 1: And our understanding on their relationship was certainly.
00:01:57
Speaker 2: It was healthy and good.
00:01:58
Speaker 1: That was good. Okay. Rose, you say what happens. Usually, there are families that come together. And it's clear you don't have to figure out who's the right representative. This is coming from the family because we are all here together in mourning and we are a unit. And on the same side right now, Hayden didn't have that, it seems, babe. Her mom is doing her own thing completely.
00:02:24
Speaker 2: She's on a defense tour of herself.
00:02:27
Speaker 1: Her own defense tour.
00:02:28
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:02:28
Speaker 1: The dad, obviously, he's feeling pain or whatever in his own way, but he's obviously not maybe that well-connected to her Hollywood life. world and whatnot. And then you got what? Who's, I guess, was closest to her in her death was her boyfriend.
00:02:40
Speaker 2: Brian Hickerson.
00:02:41
Speaker 1: And he's trying to keep from being arrested any moment. And then you have her business people who maybe feel some responsibility still. So that's why, Robes, and we're seeing kind of what someone's personal life in the background. You see it in death like this, Robes. It's just families come together. There's one statement.
00:03:01
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:03:01
Speaker 3: And this is so disconnected and it seems very adversarial in moments too, because not only was Hayden Panettiere's mother on a defense tour of herself, I'm not that bad of a mom and you don't understand what was really going on, but she has been going on the offense as well, pointing the finger directly at Brian Hickerson and making no bones about it. She is blaming him for her daughter's death.
00:03:23
Speaker 2: So you have all these.
00:03:24
Speaker 3: Competing factions and then to have this Rep speak out. I'm unclear who's authorizing it and where it's coming from and why it's necessary. But the idea is and the belief is that this new statement has come amid reports coming out of TMZ about a longtime drug dealer that the DEA is investigating and the fact that TMZ put out reports and they named several sources, they said, who are close to the investigation and that agents have zeroed in on a single potentially fentanyl-laced oxycodone pill that they believe Hayden Panettiere got on the black market from her longtime drug dealer before she boarded that plane headed to South Carolina, and they believe she took that drug the morning that she was later found dead. And so this statement comes in the wake of all of these headlines this week, and we'll read it for you. It says, Recent reports attributed to unnamed sources are unverified hearsay and have contributed to conflicting information that continues to circulate. While we are all eager to find closure and better understand the circumstances surrounding her passing, we must remain patient and allow the investigative.
00:05:02
Speaker 2: Process to unfold. The answers we are all seeking will come.
00:05:08
Speaker 1: Who was that from?
00:05:10
Speaker 3: Yeah, her name is Casey Kitchen, and she is the public relations representative who represented Hayden in her, while she was alive, and I guess she's still, and that's what I say, I'm not sure who is prompting this woman.
00:05:26
Speaker 2: To speak on Hayden's behalf.
00:05:28
Speaker 3: That is unclear, who's paying her, how she's being funded, but how she's being directed, or is she just saying this because she still feels a loyalty to Hayden. I don't know, but I just thought it was interesting because this is the second statement that they've put out since her death.
00:05:47
Speaker 1: Did they first say more? Yes.
00:05:50
Speaker 3: And this one actually was, this one sparked perhaps even more interest. They said many people who were not close to Hayden are using her death as an opportunity to fuel gossip and speculation and about a situation they knew very little about. Sounds like maybe they were directing that towards Mama.
00:06:07
Speaker 1: Sounds like?
00:06:08
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:06:09
Speaker 3: It is deeply disrespectful to her memory and to those who knew and loved her and are actively grieving this tremendous loss. If you have legitimate information that could be helpful, please contact law enforcement rather than turning to social media to speculate publicly about something you do not fully understand.
00:06:28
Speaker 2: This is where it gets interesting.
00:06:29
Speaker 3: There is much more to this story than what is currently being discussed publicly. And those closest to Hayden are actively cooperating with the ongoing investigation to help ensure that the truth comes to light.
00:06:44
Speaker 2: And that justice is properly served.
00:06:47
Speaker 3: And so this whole time, these reps are putting out statements saying, there's a lot more to this story. We promise the truth is gonna come out.
00:06:55
Speaker 2: Be patient. But it just fuels more speculation.
00:07:01
Speaker 1: But aren't they, it sounds like they know something or worried about something and trying to head it off a little bit.
00:07:07
Speaker 3: Yeah, the answers we are all seeking will come. So the implication is they know the answers. And they're waiting for police to get to those answers. And then we'll all know what really happened and if anyone is to be held criminally responsible in this. But to me, those statements imply that they believe someone will be held criminally responsible.
00:07:30
Speaker 1: They said justice. Yes, they did. Somebody to justice. That's criminal talk.
00:07:34
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:07:36
Speaker 1: I'm laughing over here. You know I'm silly. I will play it for you later. The way you say, you sounded like Morpheus in The Matrix. What? The answers you seek are coming.
00:07:45
Speaker 3: Well, yeah.
00:07:46
Speaker 2: I mean, that's what the rep said.
00:07:48
Speaker 1: He said that to Keanu Reeves famously.
00:07:50
Speaker 2: And it's just so ambiguous.
00:07:52
Speaker 3: Yes. And it makes this promise of this grand resolution that we're all going to be getting.
00:07:57
Speaker 2: The answers we are seeking will come.
00:07:59
Speaker 1: But there's a promise that they're in an acknowledgment of those particular questions.
00:08:05
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:08:06
Speaker 1: What's coming?
00:08:08
Speaker 3: That is what, and so when you put out an ambiguous, vague statement like that, now internet sleuths and everyone who has any interest in what happened to Hayden Panettiere are now just spun up even more. You just ignited or reignited and you put more fuel into all the speculation, in my opinion.
00:08:29
Speaker 1: The statement was to cut down. on the speculation.
00:08:32
Speaker 3: And I believe it probably will have the opposite effect because look, we, we talked about the TMZ reports because we have, they have been reliable.
00:08:41
Speaker 2: They have been reliable.
00:08:42
Speaker 3: And this wasn't one source, Harvey Levin saying multiple sources, and they put out another statement saying the DEA's focus is specifically on years of text conversations that are documented on Hayden's phone between her and this known And they went on to say that directly from federal law enforcement sources that the conversations were very specific about purchasing black market pills.
00:09:10
Speaker 2: And look, if you're talking about.
00:09:11
Speaker 3: Fentanyl, 50 times stronger than heroin, 100 times stronger than morphine. And obviously anyone who's looking for off market pills, they don't want fentanyl in this. Obviously, because that's dangerous, a little too much and you're dead. But this is a known thing that drug dealers are doing on the street to try and cut costs.
00:09:33
Speaker 2: And yeah, being able, it's very cheap.
00:09:35
Speaker 3: It's a synthetic and they mix it in with oxycodone and other painkillers. And you don't know what you're getting. You don't know what you're buying.
00:09:42
Speaker 1: Say the number again, a hundred times what?
00:09:44
Speaker 3: It's 50 times stronger than heroin and a hundred times stronger than morphine.
00:09:50
Speaker 1: I don't know the strength. of heroin or morphine. I know that's strong stuff.
00:09:57
Speaker 2: Like really strong.
00:09:59
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:10:00
Speaker 2: So that's just the situation.
00:10:01
Speaker 3: And we know that her home was searched by the DEA, Panettiere's home, nine days after her death. So they absolutely have been collecting evidence. And her reps referenced this Greenville County coroner's office. They did put out that statement saying, we have not released anything at this time. We will send out an email release when ready. Okay. So TBD on the medical examiner's report and the toxicology reports.
00:10:32
Speaker 1: Did they all go to the same school and take a class in writing TBD? Statements that say nothing. Yeah.
00:10:38
Speaker 3: The ambiguous statement 101. That's the class I believe it's called. And it's offered at every major university in PR. No, but that is what tends to happen. And look, she died on August 16th. The autopsy was completed on August 17th. We did get an initial statement saying no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to her death. And there was Narcan found at the scene. Certainly some of the audio tapes from the 911, from the first responders, all indicate that it was a suspected drug overdose.
00:11:09
Speaker 2: So everyone's piecing all of this together.
00:11:11
Speaker 3: But look, they say it could take up to three months to get the toxicology reports.
00:11:16
Speaker 2: I also have questions. It's 2026. Why does it still take three months? We ask this all the time. We still don't know what happened to Martha Nolan.
00:11:24
Speaker 3: We still haven't gotten toxicology reports from this woman who was found dead in Montauk more than a year ago.
00:11:29
Speaker 2: That, to me, is outrageous.
00:11:31
Speaker 1: That, to me, is a cover-up. We can talk about that one separately.
00:11:34
Speaker 2: That's another story.
00:11:34
Speaker 1: That is another story. But yes, Rose, from my understanding, sometimes there's labs that are backed up. They're backed up? Just the time it takes to process this stuff. And the toxicology is, you're screening for so many things. It's not just a simple... Is that in there or not? Hey, man.
00:11:51
Speaker 2: We need to get a toxicologist on the podcast. I really want to know why.
00:11:56
Speaker 3: And can certain high-profile cases where there is a high level of interest, can they be expedited?
00:12:02
Speaker 1: I have questions.
00:12:03
Speaker 2: I have lots of them. But when we come back, we know that some.
00:12:07
Speaker 3: reporters or some photojournalists had some questions for Brian Hickerson, who was just heard from for the first time in a while, at least since the little Wild Wings scuffle over the weekend. Welcome back, everyone, to Amy and TJ. We are talking about the second statement that has now been released by Hayden Panettiere's reps, which just basically said the answers are coming soon.
00:12:43
Speaker 2: Stop speculating.
00:12:44
Speaker 3: And, you know, I don't think that's going to do much to stop the speculations, to stop the speculation.
00:12:51
Speaker 2: Sourcing of information.
00:12:53
Speaker 3: When there isn't information, that challenges just about every journalist on the planet and certainly maybe even every online sleuth that is around the world to try and come up with some answers. And so, yes, they're trying to tamp down conflicting headlines, but I don't know how much conflict are in those headlines. Pretty much everyone is pointing to the same thing. The DEA is investigating. There are only a few conclusions you can come to.
00:13:19
Speaker 1: About what the Drug Enforcement Agency might be doing?
00:13:22
Speaker 2: Exactly. Exactly.
00:13:24
Speaker 3: Now, Brian Hickerson obviously is under the gun in terms of scrutiny.
00:13:29
Speaker 2: Folks are watching him.
00:13:30
Speaker 3: He is being followed, as you might imagine, by everyone. And certainly he's not laying low, especially over the weekend. I'm sure by now you all have heard about this Wild Wings outburst. Basically, TMZ actually put the video up. I don't know if you've seen it, of him flinging a barstool.
00:13:49
Speaker 1: It was him and not his brother?
00:13:52
Speaker 3: It shows you couldn't see who it was. His brother ended up getting the disorderly conduct charge. They were both detained and then his brother was actually arrested. But I believe he was in the scuffle. They caught up with him.
00:14:04
Speaker 2: He has a visible injury to his left eye. So there was physical contact. We don't know exactly.
00:14:10
Speaker 3: But he was on the ground at one point, handcuffed by police. But when the photojournalists walked up to him and said, how are you doing? He sarcastically responded, how do you think I'm doing? And, uh, the photographer, you can hear him offering his condolences for Hayden's death.
00:14:28
Speaker 2: And he said, I appreciate it, but that's all I got for you, man.
00:14:30
Speaker 3: So obviously he's not trying to get in it, but the, the, um, visible injury could also, he got into a motorcycle accident afterwards. He was picking up his brother from jail the next day. He bailed him out, gets him on the motor, then gets into a crash. Look, I don't know who is looking after Brian Hickerson, if he too has had his long history and struggles with substance abuse, but you go to pick up your brother from getting into a fight, and y'all end up crashing into another car.
00:15:03
Speaker 2: Is that what happened?
00:15:05
Speaker 3: Yes. Yes.
00:15:06
Speaker 2: So now, yeah, it's messy, and we will wait and see, but certainly he is being.
00:15:16
Speaker 3: Accused of all sorts of things online, and I'm sure he is trying to keep his, well, I would say he's trying to keep his profile low, but then I guess when you drink too much at a Wild Wings.
00:15:28
Speaker 2: Sometimes you forget what you're supposed to be doing.
00:15:29
Speaker 1: They say that was a really ugly scene.
00:15:31
Speaker 3: Really ugly.
00:15:32
Speaker 1: Shouting profanities in this open public space.
00:15:36
Speaker 2: People have cell phones. They start rolling.
00:15:38
Speaker 3: He was literally picked up by, they say he was picked up from behind by another man and dragged away from this altercation. If someone hadn't done that to him, he might have also been under arrest and facing charges like his brother. But right now it's just Zach who is facing disorderly conduct charges. But of course we'll continue to, This is messy. We hope we get answers soon.
00:15:56
Speaker 2: This is tough. The limbo in between, the waiting. We have so many cases like this right now.
00:16:01
Speaker 3: And it's just, you think from even Nolan Wells, like all of these questions we have about all of these mysterious deaths, when people don't get answers in a timely fashion, things tend to unravel pretty quickly. So we hope everyone gets some answers soon when it comes to Hayden Panettiere. And with that, everyone, we always appreciate you listening to us. I'm Amy Robach alongside TJ Holmes.
00:16:22
Speaker 2: We'll talk soon.
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Thursday, September 17th, and we are hearing from a representative from the camp of Hayden Panettiere, the actress who died last month. The statement was put out to clear up speculation, to clear up confusion surrounding her death. It did the opposite. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. I guess it was well-intentioned? Roe says just so much is not a lot. We know for sure. So there's a lot of speculation, but the statement didn't clear anything up.
00:00:39
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it's been interesting.
00:00:40
Speaker 3: We've had a week of a lot of statements and it seems like sometimes they do more harm than good. And This one is the second statement that we have gotten since Hayden Panettiere died on August 16th. And I was actually curious, who is speaking on her behalf? We've heard her mother speak out. We've heard her father speak out.
00:01:01
Speaker 1: We know it's not her mama.
00:01:02
Speaker 2: So, yeah, we know that this.
00:01:04
Speaker 3: But I'm just curious, when someone passes and you've got a public relations representative issuing statements on that client who has passed, who's greenlighting these statements? Who's asking these statements to be made on whose behalf?
00:01:24
Speaker 2: I think it's really, I have questions.
00:01:26
Speaker 3: Casey Kitchen is her name, that is, and that was her PR rep, but I don't know who's saying, hey, Casey Kitchen, let's pay you to release statements the death investigation of Hayden Panettiere.
00:01:40
Speaker 1: The dad's statement was what? You don't have to read it now, but just a general idea was what?
00:01:43
Speaker 3: The dad's statement was just talking about how she was the light of the world and that the world is not as great of a place without his beautiful daughter in it.
00:01:52
Speaker 2: It was very personal. That was it.
00:01:54
Speaker 1: And our understanding on their relationship was certainly.
00:01:57
Speaker 2: It was healthy and good.
00:01:58
Speaker 1: That was good. Okay. Rose, you say what happens. Usually, there are families that come together. And it's clear you don't have to figure out who's the right representative. This is coming from the family because we are all here together in mourning and we are a unit. And on the same side right now, Hayden didn't have that, it seems, babe. Her mom is doing her own thing completely.
00:02:24
Speaker 2: She's on a defense tour of herself.
00:02:27
Speaker 1: Her own defense tour.
00:02:28
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:02:28
Speaker 1: The dad, obviously, he's feeling pain or whatever in his own way, but he's obviously not maybe that well-connected to her Hollywood life. world and whatnot. And then you got what? Who's, I guess, was closest to her in her death was her boyfriend.
00:02:40
Speaker 2: Brian Hickerson.
00:02:41
Speaker 1: And he's trying to keep from being arrested any moment. And then you have her business people who maybe feel some responsibility still. So that's why, Robes, and we're seeing kind of what someone's personal life in the background. You see it in death like this, Robes. It's just families come together. There's one statement.
00:03:01
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:03:01
Speaker 3: And this is so disconnected and it seems very adversarial in moments too, because not only was Hayden Panettiere's mother on a defense tour of herself, I'm not that bad of a mom and you don't understand what was really going on, but she has been going on the offense as well, pointing the finger directly at Brian Hickerson and making no bones about it. She is blaming him for her daughter's death.
00:03:23
Speaker 2: So you have all these.
00:03:24
Speaker 3: Competing factions and then to have this Rep speak out. I'm unclear who's authorizing it and where it's coming from and why it's necessary. But the idea is and the belief is that this new statement has come amid reports coming out of TMZ about a longtime drug dealer that the DEA is investigating and the fact that TMZ put out reports and they named several sources, they said, who are close to the investigation and that agents have zeroed in on a single potentially fentanyl-laced oxycodone pill that they believe Hayden Panettiere got on the black market from her longtime drug dealer before she boarded that plane headed to South Carolina, and they believe she took that drug the morning that she was later found dead. And so this statement comes in the wake of all of these headlines this week, and we'll read it for you. It says, Recent reports attributed to unnamed sources are unverified hearsay and have contributed to conflicting information that continues to circulate. While we are all eager to find closure and better understand the circumstances surrounding her passing, we must remain patient and allow the investigative.
00:05:02
Speaker 2: Process to unfold. The answers we are all seeking will come.
00:05:08
Speaker 1: Who was that from?
00:05:10
Speaker 3: Yeah, her name is Casey Kitchen, and she is the public relations representative who represented Hayden in her, while she was alive, and I guess she's still, and that's what I say, I'm not sure who is prompting this woman.
00:05:26
Speaker 2: To speak on Hayden's behalf.
00:05:28
Speaker 3: That is unclear, who's paying her, how she's being funded, but how she's being directed, or is she just saying this because she still feels a loyalty to Hayden. I don't know, but I just thought it was interesting because this is the second statement that they've put out since her death.
00:05:47
Speaker 1: Did they first say more? Yes.
00:05:50
Speaker 3: And this one actually was, this one sparked perhaps even more interest. They said many people who were not close to Hayden are using her death as an opportunity to fuel gossip and speculation and about a situation they knew very little about. Sounds like maybe they were directing that towards Mama.
00:06:07
Speaker 1: Sounds like?
00:06:08
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:06:09
Speaker 3: It is deeply disrespectful to her memory and to those who knew and loved her and are actively grieving this tremendous loss. If you have legitimate information that could be helpful, please contact law enforcement rather than turning to social media to speculate publicly about something you do not fully understand.
00:06:28
Speaker 2: This is where it gets interesting.
00:06:29
Speaker 3: There is much more to this story than what is currently being discussed publicly. And those closest to Hayden are actively cooperating with the ongoing investigation to help ensure that the truth comes to light.
00:06:44
Speaker 2: And that justice is properly served.
00:06:47
Speaker 3: And so this whole time, these reps are putting out statements saying, there's a lot more to this story. We promise the truth is gonna come out.
00:06:55
Speaker 2: Be patient. But it just fuels more speculation.
00:07:01
Speaker 1: But aren't they, it sounds like they know something or worried about something and trying to head it off a little bit.
00:07:07
Speaker 3: Yeah, the answers we are all seeking will come. So the implication is they know the answers. And they're waiting for police to get to those answers. And then we'll all know what really happened and if anyone is to be held criminally responsible in this. But to me, those statements imply that they believe someone will be held criminally responsible.
00:07:30
Speaker 1: They said justice. Yes, they did. Somebody to justice. That's criminal talk.
00:07:34
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:07:36
Speaker 1: I'm laughing over here. You know I'm silly. I will play it for you later. The way you say, you sounded like Morpheus in The Matrix. What? The answers you seek are coming.
00:07:45
Speaker 3: Well, yeah.
00:07:46
Speaker 2: I mean, that's what the rep said.
00:07:48
Speaker 1: He said that to Keanu Reeves famously.
00:07:50
Speaker 2: And it's just so ambiguous.
00:07:52
Speaker 3: Yes. And it makes this promise of this grand resolution that we're all going to be getting.
00:07:57
Speaker 2: The answers we are seeking will come.
00:07:59
Speaker 1: But there's a promise that they're in an acknowledgment of those particular questions.
00:08:05
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:08:06
Speaker 1: What's coming?
00:08:08
Speaker 3: That is what, and so when you put out an ambiguous, vague statement like that, now internet sleuths and everyone who has any interest in what happened to Hayden Panettiere are now just spun up even more. You just ignited or reignited and you put more fuel into all the speculation, in my opinion.
00:08:29
Speaker 1: The statement was to cut down. on the speculation.
00:08:32
Speaker 3: And I believe it probably will have the opposite effect because look, we, we talked about the TMZ reports because we have, they have been reliable.
00:08:41
Speaker 2: They have been reliable.
00:08:42
Speaker 3: And this wasn't one source, Harvey Levin saying multiple sources, and they put out another statement saying the DEA's focus is specifically on years of text conversations that are documented on Hayden's phone between her and this known And they went on to say that directly from federal law enforcement sources that the conversations were very specific about purchasing black market pills.
00:09:10
Speaker 2: And look, if you're talking about.
00:09:11
Speaker 3: Fentanyl, 50 times stronger than heroin, 100 times stronger than morphine. And obviously anyone who's looking for off market pills, they don't want fentanyl in this. Obviously, because that's dangerous, a little too much and you're dead. But this is a known thing that drug dealers are doing on the street to try and cut costs.
00:09:33
Speaker 2: And yeah, being able, it's very cheap.
00:09:35
Speaker 3: It's a synthetic and they mix it in with oxycodone and other painkillers. And you don't know what you're getting. You don't know what you're buying.
00:09:42
Speaker 1: Say the number again, a hundred times what?
00:09:44
Speaker 3: It's 50 times stronger than heroin and a hundred times stronger than morphine.
00:09:50
Speaker 1: I don't know the strength. of heroin or morphine. I know that's strong stuff.
00:09:57
Speaker 2: Like really strong.
00:09:59
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:10:00
Speaker 2: So that's just the situation.
00:10:01
Speaker 3: And we know that her home was searched by the DEA, Panettiere's home, nine days after her death. So they absolutely have been collecting evidence. And her reps referenced this Greenville County coroner's office. They did put out that statement saying, we have not released anything at this time. We will send out an email release when ready. Okay. So TBD on the medical examiner's report and the toxicology reports.
00:10:32
Speaker 1: Did they all go to the same school and take a class in writing TBD? Statements that say nothing. Yeah.
00:10:38
Speaker 3: The ambiguous statement 101. That's the class I believe it's called. And it's offered at every major university in PR. No, but that is what tends to happen. And look, she died on August 16th. The autopsy was completed on August 17th. We did get an initial statement saying no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to her death. And there was Narcan found at the scene. Certainly some of the audio tapes from the 911, from the first responders, all indicate that it was a suspected drug overdose.
00:11:09
Speaker 2: So everyone's piecing all of this together.
00:11:11
Speaker 3: But look, they say it could take up to three months to get the toxicology reports.
00:11:16
Speaker 2: I also have questions. It's 2026. Why does it still take three months? We ask this all the time. We still don't know what happened to Martha Nolan.
00:11:24
Speaker 3: We still haven't gotten toxicology reports from this woman who was found dead in Montauk more than a year ago.
00:11:29
Speaker 2: That, to me, is outrageous.
00:11:31
Speaker 1: That, to me, is a cover-up. We can talk about that one separately.
00:11:34
Speaker 2: That's another story.
00:11:34
Speaker 1: That is another story. But yes, Rose, from my understanding, sometimes there's labs that are backed up. They're backed up? Just the time it takes to process this stuff. And the toxicology is, you're screening for so many things. It's not just a simple... Is that in there or not? Hey, man.
00:11:51
Speaker 2: We need to get a toxicologist on the podcast. I really want to know why.
00:11:56
Speaker 3: And can certain high-profile cases where there is a high level of interest, can they be expedited?
00:12:02
Speaker 1: I have questions.
00:12:03
Speaker 2: I have lots of them. But when we come back, we know that some.
00:12:07
Speaker 3: reporters or some photojournalists had some questions for Brian Hickerson, who was just heard from for the first time in a while, at least since the little Wild Wings scuffle over the weekend. Welcome back, everyone, to Amy and TJ. We are talking about the second statement that has now been released by Hayden Panettiere's reps, which just basically said the answers are coming soon.
00:12:43
Speaker 2: Stop speculating.
00:12:44
Speaker 3: And, you know, I don't think that's going to do much to stop the speculations, to stop the speculation.
00:12:51
Speaker 2: Sourcing of information.
00:12:53
Speaker 3: When there isn't information, that challenges just about every journalist on the planet and certainly maybe even every online sleuth that is around the world to try and come up with some answers. And so, yes, they're trying to tamp down conflicting headlines, but I don't know how much conflict are in those headlines. Pretty much everyone is pointing to the same thing. The DEA is investigating. There are only a few conclusions you can come to.
00:13:19
Speaker 1: About what the Drug Enforcement Agency might be doing?
00:13:22
Speaker 2: Exactly. Exactly.
00:13:24
Speaker 3: Now, Brian Hickerson obviously is under the gun in terms of scrutiny.
00:13:29
Speaker 2: Folks are watching him.
00:13:30
Speaker 3: He is being followed, as you might imagine, by everyone. And certainly he's not laying low, especially over the weekend. I'm sure by now you all have heard about this Wild Wings outburst. Basically, TMZ actually put the video up. I don't know if you've seen it, of him flinging a barstool.
00:13:49
Speaker 1: It was him and not his brother?
00:13:52
Speaker 3: It shows you couldn't see who it was. His brother ended up getting the disorderly conduct charge. They were both detained and then his brother was actually arrested. But I believe he was in the scuffle. They caught up with him.
00:14:04
Speaker 2: He has a visible injury to his left eye. So there was physical contact. We don't know exactly.
00:14:10
Speaker 3: But he was on the ground at one point, handcuffed by police. But when the photojournalists walked up to him and said, how are you doing? He sarcastically responded, how do you think I'm doing? And, uh, the photographer, you can hear him offering his condolences for Hayden's death.
00:14:28
Speaker 2: And he said, I appreciate it, but that's all I got for you, man.
00:14:30
Speaker 3: So obviously he's not trying to get in it, but the, the, um, visible injury could also, he got into a motorcycle accident afterwards. He was picking up his brother from jail the next day. He bailed him out, gets him on the motor, then gets into a crash. Look, I don't know who is looking after Brian Hickerson, if he too has had his long history and struggles with substance abuse, but you go to pick up your brother from getting into a fight, and y'all end up crashing into another car.
00:15:03
Speaker 2: Is that what happened?
00:15:05
Speaker 3: Yes. Yes.
00:15:06
Speaker 2: So now, yeah, it's messy, and we will wait and see, but certainly he is being.
00:15:16
Speaker 3: Accused of all sorts of things online, and I'm sure he is trying to keep his, well, I would say he's trying to keep his profile low, but then I guess when you drink too much at a Wild Wings.
00:15:28
Speaker 2: Sometimes you forget what you're supposed to be doing.
00:15:29
Speaker 1: They say that was a really ugly scene.
00:15:31
Speaker 3: Really ugly.
00:15:32
Speaker 1: Shouting profanities in this open public space.
00:15:36
Speaker 2: People have cell phones. They start rolling.
00:15:38
Speaker 3: He was literally picked up by, they say he was picked up from behind by another man and dragged away from this altercation. If someone hadn't done that to him, he might have also been under arrest and facing charges like his brother. But right now it's just Zach who is facing disorderly conduct charges. But of course we'll continue to, This is messy. We hope we get answers soon.
00:15:56
Speaker 2: This is tough. The limbo in between, the waiting. We have so many cases like this right now.
00:16:01
Speaker 3: And it's just, you think from even Nolan Wells, like all of these questions we have about all of these mysterious deaths, when people don't get answers in a timely fashion, things tend to unravel pretty quickly. So we hope everyone gets some answers soon when it comes to Hayden Panettiere. And with that, everyone, we always appreciate you listening to us. I'm Amy Robach alongside TJ Holmes.
00:16:22
Speaker 2: We'll talk soon.