Police were called to a South Carolina home connected to the family of Hayden Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, just days after the actress was found dead at age 36.
Officers with the Greenville Police Department responded to the home around 8:20 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19, after receiving a request for a welfare check, according to Page Six.
Police reportedly knocked on several doors but received no response before leaving the property roughly three minutes later.
Authorities did not reveal who the welfare check was intended for.
A police spokesperson told PEOPLE that officers responded to a home belonging to Hickerson’s family but stressed that the call was “unrelated to the Hayden Panettiere death investigation” and did not require an incident report.
The visit comes only three days after Panettiere’s shocking death.
Hickerson, 37, and his brother Zach were both reportedly with the Nashville star when she became unresponsive at a residence in Greenville on Sunday, Aug. 16.
Emergency crews were called to the property at approximately 1:50 p.m.
According to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office, first responders and EMS attempted advanced cardiac life support, but efforts to revive the actress were unsuccessful.
Panettiere was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m.
Dispatch audio from around the time of the emergency reportedly included references to an “overdose” and “cardiac arrest.” However, authorities have not announced an official cause of death, and there has been no official determination that an overdose caused Panettiere’s death.
Panettiere and Hickerson had a complicated and highly publicized history stretching back to 2018.
Hickerson was arrested multiple times during their relationship, including in domestic violence cases in 2019 and 2020.
In 2021, he pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a partner stemming from the 2020 case. He was sentenced to 45 days behind bars, four years of formal probation, domestic violence classes, restitution and a five-year protective order. He ultimately served 13 days in jail. Other charges were dropped, while the 2019 case was dismissed.
Following Hickerson’s 2020 arrest, Panettiere publicly spoke out about her experience, saying she hoped telling her story would encourage others in abusive relationships to seek help.
But the pair later reconnected.
In a 2022 interview with PEOPLE, Panettiere said she was attempting to approach the situation from a place of forgiveness and believed Hickerson had served his time and sought help.
Panettiere’s relationship with Hickerson remained a source of concern for some members of her family.
After the actress’ death, her estranged mother, Lesley Vogel, told NBC News that the family had been trying to distance Panettiere from Hickerson “for quite some time.”
“There is a lot of history in the past,” Vogel said, claiming Panettiere’s parents had long been concerned about his influence on their daughter.
Hickerson and his brother have not publicly responded to multiple requests for comment.
Panettiere’s representative confirmed her death Sunday in an emotional statement from her father, Alan “Skip” Panettiere.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” the statement said, describing her as an “incredible light” who brought enormous joy to both her loved ones and fans.
The Heroes and Nashville star leaves behind her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with former heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko.
As questions continue to swirl around Panettiere’s sudden death, investigators have not publicly announced a final cause or manner of death.
