Hayden Panettiere‘s on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson, who was on the scene when she was pronounced useless this week, has lastly damaged cowl after the beloved baby actress’s shock passing from a suspected overdose.
The 37-year-old actual property agent, who was arrested for home violence a number of instances all through their relationship, was pictured exterior his grandmother’s home in South Carolina on Tuesday, two days after Panettiere was discovered ‘unresponsive’ in an armchair at a close-by house the place Hickerson was additionally staying.
Panettiere was simply 36 years previous – and, along with her premature loss of life, has come a reexamination of her tumultuous romance with Hickerson.
Certainly, the Every day Mail has unearthed a collection of intimidating messages Hickerson allegedly despatched Panettiere amidst essentially the most abusive throes of their relationship.
It was the summer time of 2020, and Hickerson, himself an aspiring actor, was dealing with a bunch of fees stemming from alleged home violence incidents with Panettiere.
However, in an obvious try and affect his girlfriend into dropping the costs, Hickerson warned Panettiere that he had a trove of damaging info prepared to make use of towards her, police mentioned on the time.
Hayden Panettiere’s on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson, who was on the scene when she was pronounced useless this week, has lastly damaged cowl
The 37-year-old actual property agent was pictured exterior his grandmother’s home in South Carolina on Tuesday, two days after Panettiere was discovered ‘unresponsive’ in a close-by house
Actress Hayden Panettiere, 36, died on Sunday following a suspected overdose. Her on-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson (left), was on the South Carolina house the place she was pronounced useless (pictured in 2018)
‘It is rather easy, it’s a quite simple repair, between me and also you, you gotta make one telephone name,’ Hickerson allegedly texted Panettiere.
‘Time to go to battle, I suppose,’ one other message learn.
Ultimately, Hickerson pled no contest to 2 felony counts of injuring a partner or girlfriend, with the remaining fees dropped and Hickerson serving 33 days in jail.
Maybe the largest query now could be why, after that transient jail stint, did Panettiere reconcile with the convicted felon and abuser, particularly after she detailed his years of violent abuse in her memoir earlier this 12 months.
The on-off couple have been photographed collectively as just lately as March 2026, and a closely redacted police report from the scene of her loss of life this week referred to Panettiere as Hickerson’s ‘girlfriend’.
Unusually, Hickerson had nothing however variety phrases to share in regards to the actress upon the publication of her memoir in Could, regardless of Panettiere writing of 1 incident during which he ‘[busted] up my face so badly I [didn’t] depart the home for weeks.’
In hindsight, it could have been a refined signal that their relationship timeline was far blurrier than suspected.
On Monday, TMZ reported that Panettiere had saved their reconciliation a secret for the sake of her guide. The subsequent day, her estranged mom, Lesley Vogel, instructed NBC Information that she ‘at all times knew they have been collectively’ regardless of stories of the pair being on and off.
Though an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Panettiere’s loss of life continues to be ongoing, buddies have expressed their remorse that these in Panettiere’s inside circle did ‘little or no’ to persuade her to sever ties with Hickerson.
‘Many individuals near her did not assume Brian was nice, however no person obtained via to her sufficient for her to finish the connection utterly,’ an insider solely instructed the Every day Mail.
‘Everybody ended up doing little or no. Irrespective of how dangerous it might be, individuals near her could not and would not motive along with her sufficient to make her change for the higher. She did not have anybody who was her wake-up name.’
Hickerson was broadly unliked by Panettiere’s buddies, who usually ‘made feedback that she wanted to get away from him,’ one other insider shared.
Panettiere was open about her struggles with dependancy and postpartum despair within the years earlier than her loss of life (pictured in 2010)
A supply instructed the Every day Mail that Panettiere’s inside circle did ‘little or no’ to persuade her to interrupt up with Hickerson following his a number of home violence fees (pictured in 2018)
‘Clearly, she had confided in individuals as a result of it obtained round city. There have been so many individuals that attempted to get her away from him however she saved going again,’ they added.
‘It is most likely a type of trauma bonds. It is a cycle and I believe she obtained caught up in a vicious cycle.’
Panettiere was newly single and just lately out of rehab when she first crossed paths with Hickerson at a Los Angeles bar in 2018, she recalled in her memoir.
The star had infamously relinquished full custody of her three-year-old daughter Kaya to her ex-fiancé, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko, as her struggles with postpartum despair and dependancy to opioids and alcohol made motherhood an unattainable battle.
She described being swept off her ft ‘at lightning velocity’ by Hickerson, who solely had one small appearing credit score from 2017 to his title on the time.
Inside weeks they have been dwelling collectively at her Los Angeles house – dancing in her lounge, redecorating, taking part in board video games and watching ‘virtually each Netflix collection ever made.’
‘I lastly started to really feel lovely once more,’ she wrote, praising his smile and humorousness. ‘I additionally began to really feel protected, beloved and cherished. It was like Brian and I have been two finest buddies dwelling collectively beneath one roof.’
It would not be lengthy, nevertheless, that their relationship would take a violent flip.
Panettiere and Hickerson started relationship in 2018. He was arrested a number of instances all through their relationship, ultimately pleading no contest to 2 felony counts of injuring a partner or girlfriend in 2021 (pictured in 2019)
Chris Applebaum, who directed the music video for Panettiere’s 2008 tune Wake Up Name, defined to the Every day Mail that Hickerson’s ‘abusive and horrible’ conduct was a not-so-hidden secret to Panettiere’s shut family and friends.
‘I knew about [Brian], however I by no means crossed paths with him,’ Applebaum mentioned.
‘I knew all about him and the way he was so abusive and horrible, and we all know what occurs in these sorts of relationships. The sufferer will at all times shield the abuser, and there is horrible dynamics in that manner.’
Hickerson was arrested in Los Angeles and charged with home violence for the primary time in Could 2019 and launched on bail. He pleaded not responsible to at least one rely of felony home violence later that month, and the case was dismissed on the finish of September.
The next 12 months, on Valentine’s Day, Hickerson was arrested for home battery in Wyoming after a bodily altercation with a girl, later recognized as Panettiere.
Hickerson pleaded not responsible to the cost in April of that 12 months. In July 2020, Panettiere obtained a restraining order towards him, sharing in a public assertion that she hoped others could be impressed by her to stroll away from abusive companions.
Three months later, Hickerson was arrested on seven felony fees and one misdemeanor cost stemming from allegedly abusive incidents that occurred between Could 2019 to January 2020, together with one rely of dissuading a witness from prosecuting a criminal offense.
It was throughout a February 2021 preliminary listening to in Wyoming, coated by the Every day Mail, the place the snapshots of the intimidating textual content messages and movies allegedly despatched by Hickerson to Panettiere have been learn aloud in district court docket.
A mugshot of Hickerson (seen) was taken following his February 2020 arrest for home battery in Wyoming, a misdemeanor within the state
He finally pleaded no contest to 2 felony counts of injuring a partner or girlfriend in 2021, whereas the opposite six counts have been dropped. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail and 4 years’ probation, plus $500 in fines and obligatory home violence courses.
Hickerson additionally confronted severe monetary points after his home violence arrests, finally submitting for chapter in July 2022. In court docket paperwork obtained by the Every day Mail, he listed his complete property as $25,700 and his liabilities at practically $60,000.
Hickerson mentioned he solely had $6,250 in his checking account and the one property he owned was an iPhone, a printer, $2,000 in clothes and $100 value of bijou. His debt included practically $20,000 in bank card bills and about $18,000 in medical payments. The case was later closed.
Amid their tumultuous relationship, Panettiere made the daring determination to get sober from alcohol and medicines. Though the actress had a protracted historical past of abusing substances, revealing that she started taking ‘pleased drugs’ as early as 15 years previous, her dependancy worsened whereas she was battling postpartum despair.
In 2020, she entered a remedy middle for what finally turned an eight-month rehab stint. Panettiere later described her sobriety journey as an ‘on a regular basis battle,’ although the standing of her sobriety on the day of her loss of life stays unclear.
Based on a redacted incident report obtained by the Every day Mail on Tuesday, Hickerson allegedly confirmed police a ‘bag of treatment’ that Panettiere had been taking on the time of her loss of life. Narcan, a nasal spray used to reverse the consequences of opioid overdose, was additionally reportedly discovered contained in the house.
Whereas Panettiere was open along with her followers about her years-long battle with dependancy, nevertheless, it appeared she was much less prepared to totally acknowledge her poisonous relationship. A lot so, Panettiere apparently saved particulars about their relationship hidden from even her closest buddies.
‘Everybody knew she was nonetheless seeing Brian [Hickerson], however nobody knew if it was severe. She did not like to speak about him,’ a 3rd supply instructed the Every day Mail. ‘Brian is a mud bag. She has dated tons of filth baggage.’
In March 2022, Panettiere was knocked to the bottom whereas attempting to interrupt up a combat between Hickerson and patrons exterior the Sundown Marquis lodge in Los Angeles. At one level, Panettiere appeared to yell ‘Brian, jail!’ in a attainable try and warn Hickerson about his probation.
In Could 2022, Panettiere was knocked to the bottom whereas attempting to interrupt up a combat between Hickerson and patrons exterior the Sundown Marquis lodge in Los Angeles
At one level, Panettiere appeared to yell ‘Brian, jail!’ in a attainable try and warn Hickerson about his probation
The next 12 months, Panettiere instructed to the New York Occasions that the pair had just lately turn into sober and reconnected as buddies. Nonetheless, she was hesitant to outline their relationship, admitting to the outlet, ‘There are emotions there, sure.’
Certainly, questions surrounding the standing of Panettiere’s relationship with Hickerson had been looming in latest months up till her passing. These questions, nevertheless, have been answered on Tuesday, when the redacted incident report from her loss of life referred to Panettiere as Hickerson’s ‘girlfriend.’
Simply final March, they have been photographed touring side-by-side at Los Angeles Airport. Two months later, Hickerson made a number of bombshell statements to TMZ about his previous abuse, and his hopes to in the future marry Panettiere.
‘Man, I imply, I believe it speaks for itself… I obtained arrested for abusing her,’ Hickerson mentioned in Could.
‘And I would not blame her buddies for being pissed off at me… I had rather a lot to drink and I obtained bodily along with her. I obtained arrested. I spent the night time in jail and that is simply what occurs once you lay palms on ladies.’
Hickerson mentioned he ‘had a pair alternatives to apologize’ to Panettiere for what occurred.
‘Our relationship now could be… I believe it is only a mutual respect factor. She’ll at all times maintain a particular place in my coronary heart and, you realize, I hope the identical for her,’ he mentioned. ‘We’re simply good buddies.’
He added that he ‘in fact’ thought of marrying the actress however admitted that he and Panettiere ‘most likely would not be good collectively.’
Panettiere was photographed arriving at a guide signing for her memoir, ‘This Is Me: A Reckoning,’ in Could 2026 in New York Metropolis
However when later requested her ideas about Hickerson’s goals for marriage, the actress scoffed on the thought.
‘I do not assume that is going to occur,’ Panettiere instructed TMZ.
In the meantime, Hickerson made authorized strikes to rewrite his felony previous practically one month earlier than Panettiere’s loss of life.
Based on court docket paperwork obtained by the Every day Mail, Hickerson filed a petition with the Los Angeles County Superior Court docket to alter his felony fees to misdemeanor fees. Below his four-years’ probation phrases, Hickerson was ordered to attend Alcoholics Nameless conferences ‘on the minimal charge of 1 per week,’ based on court docket data, and full 26 anger administration periods.
Hickerson accomplished his probation on August 1, and requested the court docket to expunge the costs from his report. Nevertheless, on August 13, a Los Angeles decide denied Hickerson’s petition.
Three days later, Panettiere was discovered useless in an house block positioned in Greenville, South Carolina. She was described as ‘unresponsive’ and in ‘cardiac arrest’ after a suspected overdose, based on a recording of the 911 name obtained by the Every day Mail.
On Tuesday, police confirmed that Hickerson, alongside together with his brother Zach Hickerson, have been within the house with the actress. An officer on the scene mentioned Zach was ‘very emotional’ amid the distressing scene, however Hickerson did not present any upset till Panettiere was declared useless.
The star’s father, Alan Lee ‘Skip’ Panettiere, confirmed his daughter’s loss of life in a press release shared on Sunday, saying the ‘tragic passing of our beloved Hayden.’
‘She was an unimaginable mild and a drive of nature who introduced immeasurable love and pleasure to all who knew her – and to the tens of millions who watched her onscreen.’
However when it got here time for Panettiere’s mom to interrupt her silence about her daughter’s loss of life, she took the chance to solid blame on her daughter’s abusive boyfriend as a substitute.
‘This particular person in her life that we have now been attempting to do away with for fairly a while was along with her at her loss of life and that was Brian Hickerson,’ Vogel instructed NBC Information.
‘There’s a number of historical past up to now that Brian has enabled Hayden many instances and because of this her father and I had been involved for a very long time about him,’ she mentioned.
Panettiere’s mom mentioned her daughter had ‘sadly misplaced her manner’ and that she ‘want it have been totally different.’
‘I want she had stayed true to herself as a result of she had many unimaginable attributes.’
