Hayden Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel, is publicly questioning Brian Hickerson’s account of what happened in the hours before the actress was found unresponsive, saying she believes there are significant gaps in his version of events.

Panettiere, 36, was discovered in cardiac arrest at a South Carolina apartment on August 16, with police reports stating that Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were present when emergency responders arrived. Preliminary autopsy findings reportedly showed no obvious signs of foul play or trauma, but authorities have not yet determined the actress’ official cause and manner of death

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Now, Vogel says she is struggling to understand Hickerson’s account of those final moments.

According to the account attributed to Hickerson, he left the apartment around 10:30 a.m. and saw Panettiere putting on makeup before leaving. When he returned, he allegedly went to sleep and did not recall seeing or speaking with her again. He was reportedly awakened when his brother knocked on the door, after which they discovered Panettiere unresponsive.

For Vogel, that explanation raises troubling questions.

“I don’t know how you can take a nap near someone who’s dying and not realize something’s wrong,” she told the Daily Mail, questioning how someone nearby could fail to notice a medical emergency.

Vogel also pointed to the presence of Narcan at the apartment. The medication is commonly used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, although its presence alone does not establish that an overdose occurred or explain Panettiere’s death.

The actress’ mother went further, saying she believes Hickerson may have known more about the situation than his account suggests. Vogel alleged that he could have contacted his brother before they developed a version of what happened.

Those statements are Vogel’s allegations and suspicions, not established facts, and Hickerson has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Panettiere’s death.

Meanwhile, Zach Hickerson has offered a very different account.

According to Zach, he had planned to meet Brian and Panettiere for lunch and indoor golf but could not reach either of them. He eventually went to the apartment and knocked on the door, waking Brian.

Zach said the two men then attempted to wake Panettiere and discovered that she was unconscious. He said he immediately called 911, while Brian administered Narcan. The brothers then performed CPR together while emergency responders were on speakerphone.

Zach also urged people to stop spreading speculation about Panettiere’s death and allow investigators to establish the facts.

The conflicting accounts have added another layer of uncertainty surrounding the actress’ final hours.

Vogel has previously described Panettiere and Hickerson’s relationship as a deeply “codependent bond” and said her family had been trying to remove what she considered a toxic presence from her daughter’s life. The pair began dating in 2018 and later separated following Hickerson’s 2020 domestic-violence arrest involving Panettiere. Despite their turbulent history, reports have indicated that they remained connected over the years.

Hickerson eventually broke his silence after Panettiere’s death through a statement issued by his attorney.

For now, the central questions surrounding Panettiere’s death remain unanswered. Her preliminary autopsy reportedly found no trauma or obvious foul play, while additional testing is still pending.

As investigators continue examining what happened inside the South Carolina apartment, Vogel’s doubts have ensured that the story surrounding Hayden Panettiere’s final hours is far from settled.