Actor Hayden Panettiere has died, and four days after the news broke, her on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson has responded publicly for the first time, issuing a statement through his lawyer rather than speaking directly. The pair had a well-documented and turbulent relationship, including a prior domestic violence case involving Hickerson, so any comment from him following her death is likely to attract significant public and media attention.

The supplied article text does not include further specific details of what Hickerson's lawyer said, nor confirmed details of the circumstances of Panettiere's death, beyond the headline confirming the statement was made four days after she died. Panettiere, known for roles including Claire Bennet in "Heroes" and Juliette Barnes in "Nashville", had spoken openly in the past about her mental health, addiction struggles and her relationship with Hickerson.