Actress Michelle Rodriguez appeared haunted as she discussed the death of Hayden Panettiere, describing it as ‘disheartening’.
The Heroes and Nashville star was found dead by her on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson’s brother after suffering a suspected overdose on Sunday. She was 36 years old.
Speaking at The Fast and the Furious 25th anniversary screening in Los Angeles on Monday, Rodriguez, 48, said it’s ‘not normal’ how many young celebrities are dying in Hollywood.
Her words come after the February 2025 death of Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Michelle Trachtenberg, as well as The Ring star Daveigh Chase, who died in June.
‘I’ve got to tell you, man, I just can’t stand how many young people are leaving us lately,’ Rodriguez told Variety.
‘It’s disheartening, and it’s making me think, “What’s going on?” It’s not normal. I don’t want to speculate about anything, but it’s weird,’ she added.
‘Just in general, the amount and the volume of it since 2010 to now, it’s a lot.’
When asked how she would remember Panettiere, she said: ‘Her curious spirit and how happy and joyous she is, because that’s her memory, right?’
Sources have now claimed that Hickerson was asleep in a bedroom at a rented property, while his brother, Zach, was the one to discover the actress dead.
Zach was ‘very emotional’, but his brother reportedly remained calm until after she was declared dead.
Panettiere’s estranged mother, Lesley Vogel, spoke for the first time since her daughter’s death, casting concern over her relationship with Hickerson and claiming they were trying to ‘get rid’ of him.
‘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,’ Vogel told NBC News.
Her mum continued: ‘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.’
Vogel claimed that Hickerson had ‘enabled’ Panettiere in the past so the family had been concerned about their relationship.
Hickerson pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend in 2021. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail for injuring the actress, as well as four years of formal probation, 52 domestic violence classes, $500 in restitution and a five-year protective order.
Panettiere previously spoke about Hickerson’s arrest, saying: ‘I am 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.’
