In the time leading up to her passing, Panettiere was candid about the complex nature of her relationship with Hickerson. In 2023, she recognized that there were “feelings” reignited in their romance, but informed the New York Times that any return to their previous dating dynamic was “contingent on him continuing on this road of recovery.”
Regarding allowing Hickerson—who served 45 days in jail after pleading no contest to two counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend in 2020—back into her life, she stated, “I did not do any of this lightly.”
After the Remember the Titans star’s death, her father Skip Panettiere highlighted the family’s “profound sadness” over the loss.
“She was an incredible light,” he expressed in a statement to People, “and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her—and to the millions who watched her onscreen.”
To discover more stars who shared heartfelt messages in memory of Panettiere, continue reading…
