Former Nashville actress Hayden Panettiere was honored by celebrity friends and family at a memorial ceremony at Malibu Pacific Church in California on Saturday.
The celebration of life brought together former co-stars, entertainment industry figures, and relatives one month after Panettiere died at age 36 following a suspected overdose in South Carolina.
Panettiere's former Nashville co-stars Connie Britton, Jonathan Jackson, and Sam Palladio attended the gathering alongside actress Ruby Rose, Beverly D'Angelo, Evan Ross, filmmaker Storm Santos, celebrity colorist Erick Orellana, and makeup artist Beau Nelson. Exclusive photographs obtained by the Daily Mail captured the attendees as they gathered to pay their respects.
The event began around 5pm outside the church, located in the coastal city of Malibu in Los Angeles County. Up to 150 guests assembled on a mezzanine where they ate food supplied by Pizza Girl.
At around 5:30pm, several doves were released outside the venue in a symbolic gesture. The gathering then moved inside the church building for a moving ceremony honoring the late star.
Inside the sanctuary, a large photograph of Panettiere was displayed prominently alongside the inscription: "Honoring the life & legacy Hayden Panettiere 8.12.89 - 8.16.26."
During the evening, actor Jackson was seen in tears inside the church while being comforted by his fellow cast member Palladio.
Tributes and Speeches From Costars
Security guards were stationed at the church entrance throughout the evening, and local Sheriff's deputies were also present to monitor the gathering. The memorial service concluded at around 7:30pm, with a source telling TMZ that the gathering was "emotional and beautiful."
A live band was set up inside the church for the event. Britton and Charles Esten, who also starred in Nashville, delivered speeches remembering their former colleague.
Esten performed a song from Nashville, the musical drama television series in which he and Panettiere starred together. Britton, pictured looking somber while gazing out over a balcony, wore a black dress with a lacy skirt to the service.
Ross attended the memorial wearing a casual white shirt paired with black pants, a black jacket, and a brown baseball cap.
Other entertainment industry figures seen at the Malibu ceremony included Santos, Orellana, and Nelson, joining dozens of close friends who filled the church.
Doves released earlier in the evening outside the church marked the transition to the indoor memorial portion of the ceremony.
Family Attendance and Estrangement
Panettiere's father, Skip Panettiere, attended the service wearing a suit adorned with Hawaiian-style lei flowers around his neck.
However, her mother, Leslie Vogel, from whom the actress was estranged, was not in attendance. A source close to Vogel denied reports that she was not invited, telling TMZ that she was unable to attend due to a family emergency.
Britton was pictured during the evening catching up with her former Nashville colleagues, including Palladio and Jackson, as guests reconnected inside the venue.
Members of the cast and friends later gathered together for what appeared to be a group photograph inside the church.
Exclusion of On-Off Boyfriend
Panettiere's on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson, 37, and his brother Zach Hickerson, 38, were snubbed from the memorial service and did not attend. According to TMZ, both brothers understand why they were not included in the celebration of life.
A source indicated that Brian Hickerson has been spiraling in the wake of Panettiere's death and has reportedly lost 40 pounds since she died.
Panettiere died on August 16, 2026, after going into cardiac arrest following a suspected overdose at an Airbnb loft apartment in South Carolina, where she had been staying with Brian and Zach. She had arrived in Greenville with Brian one day prior to her death.
Detectives from the Greenville County Sheriff's Office confirmed last month that they responded to a 911 emergency call from an acquaintance of Panettiere who described the actress as unresponsive.
TMZ previously reported that Narcan, a nasal spray medication used to emergency-reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, was recovered from a mattress inside the loft apartment.
The Greenville County Sheriff's Office stated that an autopsy on Panettiere has been completed and revealed no signs of physical trauma on her body.
Incident Details and Recent Arrests
According to an incident report from the Greenville Police Department, Zach Hickerson told investigating officers that Brian was sleeping in a separate room of the rental home when Zach arrived and discovered Panettiere unresponsive in a chair.
Zach stated that Brian administered Narcan to the actress and that both brothers performed CPR while communicating with 911 emergency dispatchers.
In the weeks following Panettiere's death, both Hickerson brothers have been involved in legal trouble. Earlier this month, Brian and Zach were involved in a bar fight at the Wild Wing Cafe.
An eyewitness told TMZ that the brothers had been drinking at the venue when other patrons allegedly heckled them regarding Panettiere's death on August 16. The altercation resulted in Brian being detained and Zach being arrested for disorderly conduct.
Panettiere had a tumultuous on-and-off relationship with Brian Hickerson that began in 2018. Over the course of their relationship, Brian was arrested and charged multiple times in connection with domestic abuse.
In 2021, Brian pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend. According to People, his conviction resulted in jail time, probation, mandatory domestic violence classes, a $500 restitution payment, and a five-year protective order.
Following the actress's death, Zach Hickerson issued a statement to TMZ addressing the situation surrounding her passing.
Zach told TMZ: "There are a lot of assumptions, speculations and accusations currently swirling. The truth will come out as the authorities complete and release additional details from the investigation. And that is important because the people who loved and adored Hayden deserve the truth."
Describing Panettiere as "precious," Zach added that her family and friends should be allowed to mourn her without media disruption.
Zach stated: "At this time, I want to clarify my involvement in effort to keep the focus on the fact that we lost one of the most precious individuals on this earth and to allow those that cared about her to mourn without additional noise, chaos, and misinformation being created and propagated by the media as well as the public."
