By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-17 18:47:37 | Updated at 2026-08-17 19:16:18
42 minutes ago
Hayden Panettiere turbulent romance with Brian Hickerson has been thrust back into the spotlight in the wake of the actress's shocking death.
Just one day before the actress passed away, she had flown from Los Angeles to South Carolina with Hickerson.
The two had dated on and off from 2018 until 2022, and their tumultuous romance was marred by domestic violence and multiple arrests.
Panettiere and Hickerson, a budding actor and real estate agent, were first spotted together in August 2018 when photographers caught them enjoying a romantic dinner date and holding hands in West Hollywood.
Immediately after, reports emerged that she and her longtime partner Wladimir Klitschko had called off their engagement and split; the two had been together for nine years and welcomed their daughter, Kaya, together in 2014.
At first, Panettiere and Hickerson's relationship looked picture perfect: the two appeared as happy as could be together in paparazzi shots and various sources spilled on how they were 'having so much fun' together and 'getting serious.' But within two months, the relationship became shrouded in scandal.
In the wake of Hayden Panettiere's shock passing, a fresh spotlight has been shone on her years-long, complicated relationship with Brian Hickerson (seen together in 2018)
Over the past few months, Panettiere had opened up to the public about the struggles she faced and shared insight into her rocky relationship with Hickerson (seen in 2021)
Hickerson is originally from South Carolina but moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting and real estate.
He graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2011, according to his LinkedIn page.
He began his career working as the vice president of sales at a landscaping and construction company in 2011 before he joined legal recruiting firm Adams & Martin Group in 2015.
He spent two years working as a business solutions manager for the company before he left in 2017 to work as a contract corporate recruiter at RealtyMogul.com.
His acting career was less successful; he only has one credit to his name – the drama M.F.A. which also starred Francesca Eastwood and Clifton Collins Jr.
His current position is listed as an executive assistant for a 'high-profile, confidential client,' which he began in April 2019.
Among his duties is managing the unnamed client's 'entire residence and overseeing and coordinating with household staff and vendors,' providing '24/7 on-call support' and 'physical security during travel and public appearances.'
On his Instagram page, Hickerson often shared photos of his everyday life, in which he could be seen spending time with family and friends.
Hickerson was arrested in February 2020 in Wyoming
He dated the actress on-and-off from 2018 to 2022, after the two met at a West Hollywood bar, The Abbey, shortly after her split from pro boxer Wladimir Klitschko. She and Hickerson are seen in 2018
However, in recent years he distanced himself from social media. His most recent post was shared on December 12, 2024, and showed him playing on a racing simulator used by F1 drivers.
Before dating Panettiere, Hickerson was reportedly in a relationship with model Baskin Champion, per a 2018 report by E. News.
He and Panettiere had met at West Hollywood bar The Abbey, and almost immediately after the relationship started, it became marred in controversy.
In November 2018, sources told Us Weekly that the couple 'partied a lot together' and that friends were 'deeply concerned.'
'It's not a healthy situation, but none of the people close to her really know what to do. She doesn't listen to anyone,' one insider alleged.
In May 2019, Hickerson was arrested for domestic violence; police were reportedly called to their home following an altercation and noticed 'redness and marks' on the Nashville actress' body.
On Valentine's Day in 2020 he was arrested again in Jackson, Wyoming, after he allegedly punched Panettiere in the face.
At the time, police noted that his 'demeanor immediately changed and he avoided the question' after he was asked if he had punched her. He pleaded not guilty to one case of domestic battery but it's unclear what the outcome of the arrest was.
In April 2021, he was sentenced to 45 days in jail for domestic violence following an eight-count criminal indictment that stemmed from a series of abusive incidents that took place between May 2019 and January 2020.
He pleaded no contest to felony charges of 'injuring a spouse or girlfriend' in a plea deal, while the other six charges were dismissed. He ultimately served 13 days in jail.
He was given four years of probation and was ordered to stay away from Panettiere for five years.
He later told TMZ he regretted his treatment of her, citing 'drugs and alcohol' as part of the problem.
In July 2021, Panettiere and Hickerson were spotted together again at a bar in Los Angeles.
They split in 2022, but in April 2023 the New York Times reported that he was present when they visited her home for an interview.
His current position is listed as an executive assistant for a 'high profile, confidential client.' He and Panettiere are seen together in 2019
She told the publication they had reconnected after both of them became sober.
'I did not do any of this lightly,' she said in regards to her decision to let him back into her life. 'He knows he deserved what happened to him.'
'There are feelings there, yes,' she added.
In March of this year, the pair were spotted together in an airport, but her rep denied that they were back together at the time.
'Regarding recent speculation, Hayden is not in a romantic relationship with Brian Hickerson - the two remain friends,' they said.
In May, Panettiere spoke in detail about the harrowing abuse she allegedly endured at the hands of Hickerson in her explosive memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, even detailing the first time that he put his hands on her.
'I hear it before I feel it, the unmistakable sound of an open-hand slap,' Panettiere wrote. 'There’s the burning on my cheek, like I’m on fire. There’s ringing in my head.'
Before things turned physical, she claimed that Hickerson was screaming in her face and was displaying rage 'like [she] had never seen before.'
'None of it happened, at least for me. If I think about it, it’s real. But it wasn’t real,' Panettiere wrote.
'I can play tough and will it away and it’s gone. Buck it up, then wipe it off the whiteboard and delete it from the tapes. I love this man and this wasn’t him. It couldn’t have been him, not in a million years.'
She claimed in the memoir that 'slaps' eventually 'became hits.'
'One night he busts up my face so badly I don’t leave the house for weeks. Another day he screams at me to run as far as I can in five seconds because I’ll need a head start before he throws the remote control at me,' she wrote.
'This is a man who doesn’t miss, I think. And he doesn’t,' she continued.
In an interview with Us Weekly that was published ahead of the release of her memoir, Panettiere admitted that it was 'traumatic' and 'brutal' to revisit her experience with domestic violence while writing the book.
'Getting an abusive person out of your life is like trying to rip a weed out that is so entangled into your life, and every time you pull it out another weed pops back up and you’re like, I thought I killed this,' the Ice Princess star told the outlet at the time.
'They always manage to find a way to slither back in, even if you’re an incredibly strong-willed person,' she said.
Shortly before the release of her memoir, Hickerson gave an interview to TMZ, during which, she shared that he believed 'domestic violence education' came 'too late in life' for many.
Despite admitting to 'abusing her,' he described Panettiere as his 'good buddy' and said he still had hope they might get married one day.
'I got arrested for abusing her,' he said. 'I wouldn’t blame her friends for being pissed off at me ... I had a lot to drink and I got physical with her. I got arrested. I spent the night in jail and that’s just what happens when you lay hands on women.'
'I had a couple of opportunities to apologize for it and reflect on it... You never lay hands on a woman, bottom line,' he added.
During the interview, he claimed that he had been in touch with Panettiere the day before.
He said in their conversation that they had spoken about the book, and he had told her that it was going to be a 'hit.'
'Our relationship now is, I think it's just a mutual respect thing, she'll always hold a special place in my heart and I hope the same for her,' he said at the time. 'We're just good buddies.'
Hickerson also admitted that he did think about marrying the star from time to time, and 'hoped' it could still happen. However, he added: '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. We probably wouldn't be good together.'
During the interview, he also revealed that he was enrolled in Alcoholics Anonymous, and that his group leader was none other than actor Shia LaBeouf, sharing that he 'saved his life.'
The Daily Mail has reached out to Hickerson for comment.
Panettiere began acting as a child, appearing in soap operas, then gained wider recognition for her role in the 2000 sports drama Remember the Titans with Denzel Washington, and as the voice of Dot in Pixar's 1998 film A Bug's Life. She's seen in 2013
Detectives confirmed to the Daily Mail that they responded Sunday afternoon to a 911 call from an 'acquaintance' of Panettiere, describing her as 'unresponsive.' Detectives did not identify the acquaintance.
Officers and paramedics headed to the apartment block in Greenville, South Carolina, where they carried out chest compressions while trying to save Panettiere's life.
The first 911 call was made at 1.51pm, but the actress, who was due to turn 37 this Friday, was pronounced dead at the scene just over 40 minutes later at 2.32pm.
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.'
TMZ also reported the actress had complained of back pain in the past year.
In 2018, Panettiere announced she had made the 'difficult decision' to sign full custody of her daughter to her ex Klitschko. Kaya then moved to his native Ukraine.
The widely discussed decision came after Panettiere said she fell into a deep depression, which she said made her 'feel nothing' – and led to her 'turning to wine' and ultimately being sent to rehab for both depression and substance abuse.
The star began acting as a child, appearing in soap operas, then gained wider recognition for her role in the 2000 sports drama Remember the Titans with Denzel Washington, and as the voice of Dot in Pixar's 1998 film A Bug's Life.
Panettiere later found fame playing cheerleader Claire Bennet in the superhero drama Heroes before starring as country singer Juliette Barnes for six seasons on Nashville.
She earned two Golden Globe nominations for best supporting actress on the show, while her singing produced 11 entries on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.
Panettiere's film credits include 2006's Bring It On: All or Nothing, the comedy-drama film Raising Helen, and appearances in Scream 4 and Scream VI as Kirby Reed.
