Hayden Panettiere's on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson GRINS as he recounts domestic abuse towards late star in resurfaced interview

Hayden Panettiere's on-off boyfriend and convicted felon Brian Hickerson spoke candidly about abusing her in a resurfaced chat, taken three months before her shock death at 36. 

Panettiere, who would have turned 37 on August 21, was found 'unresponsive' by officers and paramedics in an apartment block in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday, and she was later pronounced dead at the scene following a suspected overdose.

Police and the local coroner's office are probing the death, but said the 'preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances'.

The star and Hickerson, who was previously jailed for abusing her, were said to have flown from Los Angeles to South Carolina, where he is from, one day before she died. 

She is survived by one daughter, Kaya, 11, who she welcomed during her longest romantic relationship, with boxer Wladimir Klitschko, 50.

Hickerson was sentenced to 45 days in county jail – and served 13 days the following month – after pleading no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend back in April 2021. 

In a May interview with TMZ, Hickerson spoke about the domestic violence incidents that took place during their relationship – and how he felt seeing Panettiere retell the abuse in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning. 

He also revealed that there was one particular incident he wanted her to leave out of the book but she ended up keeping it in.

'There's a story where I was drunk, right? Hayden was standing across the room and I had a phone in my hand and I said, "Hayden I'll give you 10 seconds to run as fast as you can before I throw it at you,"' he recalled.

'Who wants to read something about themselves like that, right?' he asked, before adding with a big smile, 'I did it. I did it.'

Hickerson added he thought the memoir was 'incredible' but added 'My biggest thing, I wasn't taught early enough what domestic violence was. If I was at an early enough age, maybe I wouldn't have done what I did.'

In the wake of her death, the chat with Hickerson resurfaced on social media, with one fan writing, 'I don't know if this is the result of alcohol, drugs, mental illness or whatever watching the entire interview is wild. 

'I have never seen anyone speak so casually about abusing their girlfriend. It's nauseating. I loved Hayden Panettiere in Nashville. One of my favorite shows. May she finally find the peace she could never find in this life.'

Panettiere and Hickerson had an on-again, off-again relationship from 2018 to 2022 that was marred by domestic violence incidents and arrests.

The actress was in the midst of her substance abuse issues when she started dating Hickerson, 37, shortly after she wrapped the sixth and final season of Nashville. 

Their relationship soon turned ugly when Hickerson was arrested in May 2019 after an incident with Panettiere. He was charged with domestic violence, and she received a protective order before the charges were dropped.

In July of 2020, he was arrested again in connection with eight charges of domestic violence. He entered a no-contest plea to a pair of felony counts of injuring a partner in 2021, and the rest of the charges were dropped. 

Hickerson was in jail for 13 days, and Panettiere put out a statement following the arrest saying she hoped she could serve as an example for others in a similar situation.

'I am coming forward with the truth about what happened to me in the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve,' she said at the time. 'I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again.'

Panettiere told People that she continues to 'feel the same way' about the statement she put out two years ago.

'None of it is OK,' she said. 'But I want to make sure that everybody knows that each person who goes through something like that, they're on their own journey. No two things are exactly alike.'

Panettiere also spoke with the publication about an incident in which she and Hickerson got into a bar brawl with a group of revelers at a celebrity hotspot in Los Angeles in 2022. 

According to TMZ, Hickerson sparked the fight when he spat on a fellow patron at Sunset Marquis, which prompted the manager to throw everyone out of the establishment. 

However, a representative for Panettiere told People that Hickerson 'made a comment to an individual about leaving the waitress a poor tip.'

Panettiere later said she was 'trying to live in a place of understanding' in regards to her history with Hickerson and the multiple domestic violence incidents he was charged with during their relationship.

'I think [Brian] has done his time and was willing to get help. I think about the things I have done in my life that people forgave me for,' she told People. 'Making amends is a really important thing that you learn in treatment. And it gives you a lot of inner peace.'

It's unclear when exactly they split, but Hickerson confirmed that they are 'just friends' and 'absolutely not' together anymore.

However, in recent years the pair appeared to have repaired their friendship and were spotted travelling together. 

After Panettiere recounted their terrifying relationship in memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, Hickerson in May unbelievably said he can still see a future with the star.

When asked by TMZ if he ever thinks about marrying the actress, he responded: 'Yeah, of course... I hope so - she probably doesn't think the same way.'

However, Hickerson acknowledged it was not healthy for the pair to resume a romantic relationship, adding: 'I think that Hayden is one of the most talented people I’ve ever met in my life, and I would be an idiot not to walk away from her and let her flourish in her career. 

'So, we probably wouldn’t be good together.'

Hickerson said the pair's relationship had now evolved into friendship after they were seen at the airport together in March, but whined: 'I miss Hayden every day.'

The actress later offered her response to Hickerson's comments about marriage while talking to TMZ as she arrived to LAX airport.

When asked to offer her reaction, she simply replied with a small laugh, 'I don't think that's going to happen,' before making her way into the crowded airport. 

Despite his public declaration of affection, Hickerson also revealed there was one particular violent incident he wanted Panettiere to leave out of the book but she ended up keeping it in. 

'There's a story where I was drunk, right? Hayden was standing across the room and I had a phone in my hand and I said, "Hayden I'll give you 10 seconds to run as fast as you can before I throw it at you,"' he recalled.

'Who wants to read something about themselves like that, right?' he asked, before adding, 'I did it. I did it.'

'I went into such a dark place, man, drugs, alcohol,' he recalled of their relationship. 'Good God, almighty, she's five foot two on paper, four foot 11 in real life. I mean, come on.' 

'Terrible thing I did to her,' he added. 

Hickerson said he's had a 'couple of opportunities to apologize' to his ex, adding, 'You never lay hands on a woman. Bottom line.'

He also spoke about an incident that took place in 2020 when he was arrested on Valentine's Day for allegedly punching her. He entered a plea of not guilty at the time.

'I had a lot to drink, and I got physical with her, and I got arrested, spent the night in jail. That's just what happens when you lay hands on women,' he said. 

Nearly a month before her tragic death, Hickerson filed a petition with the Los Angeles County Superior Court to expunge his criminal record of domestic abuse charges involving the actress.

According to a minute order filed on August 13 and reviewed by the Daily Mail, Judge Olivia Rosales denied Hickerson’s petition, just three days before Panettiere was found dead from what officials described as a 'suspected overdose.'

Hickerson initially was charged in July 2020 on eight felony and misdemeanor counts in connection with incidents involving him and Panettiere.

In April of 2021, Hickerson pleaded 'no contest' to two felony counts, as the other six counts were dropped, and he was placed on four years probation.

Under his probation terms, Hickerson was ordered to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings 'at the minimum rate of one per week,' according to court records; he also had to complete a series of anger management sessions.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Hickerson's lawyer and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office for further comment on the story.

Hickerson completed his probation on August 1. Last week, he filed a petition with the court to change those felony charges to misdemeanors. He also asked the court to expunge the charges from his record.

Prosecutors sought to block both of Hickerson's attempts to have the charges knocked down to misdemeanors in the Thursday hearing, according to documents reviewed by the Daily Mail.

Hickerson had filed two earlier petitions to dismiss the case, on July 18 and on June 27, in a hearing that was delayed, according to records reviewed by the Daily Mail.

Hickerson said in legal docs that he had finished his probation in requesting the court dismiss the case.

'I got arrested for abusing her, and I wouldn't blame her friends for being pissed off with me, so I don't really have much to say on that,' said Hickerson, who was first linked to the late actress in 2018.

He added, 'You never lay hands on a woman, bottom line.'