Getty Hayden Panettiere in 2019.
Brian Hickerson, Hayden Panettiere’s ex-boyfriend, has been arrested in California and charged with multiple counts including domestic violence and assault, according to TMZ. According to public records, Hickerson was arrested by the LAPD on Thursday night at 9 p.m. The circumstances of his arrest have not been provided at this time. His bail has been set at $320,000.
On July 17, the day after Hickerson’s arrest, Panettiere posted on Instagram:
The post reads in part, “I am coming forward with the truth about what happened to me with the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve. I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again.” She also shared the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
Panettiere previously received the Wyoming court’s protection from her ex and his arrest came just days after she filed for the same protection in California. On July 15, The Blast reported that Panettiere had filed to register her out-of-state restraining order in California, specifically asking that it’s enforced in Los Angeles, where she is now living. It’s unclear at this time if the court granted the restraining order prior to Hickerson’s arrest.
The couple began dating shortly after Panettiere and her fiance Wladimir Klitschko split in August 2018. Hickerson and the Heroes actor dated for just under two years, a relationship that was described by many close friends as “toxic,” and broke up a short while ago, according to PEOPLE.
Hickerson Was Arrested a Few Months Ago After Panettiere Says He Hit Her During an Argument
Earlier this year, on Valentine’s Day, Hickerson was arrested in Teton County, Wyoming after Panettiere told the police that he had gotten physical and punched her in the face during an argument. At the time, Hickerson was charged with domestic battery and interference with a cop, which are both misdemeanor charges in Wyoming.
TMZ obtained police documents of the incident that said Panettiere reported that Hickerson began getting physically abusive toward her and punched her. Police reported that her face was swollen, TMZ added. Hickerson was then released on a $5,000 bond. It’s unclear where the case stands at this time.
The Valentine’s Day incident wasn’t the first domestic violence dispute between the couple. Hickerson was also arrested in May 2019 in Los Angeles and charged with one count of felony domestic violence. Prosecutors said he “willfully inflicted corporal injury resulting in a traumatic condition upon Hayden P.” A few months later, the case was dismissed, PEOPLE reported. At the time, a Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office spokesperson told the outlet, “Our office was unable to proceed because we could not secure a material witness.”
Hickerson Has Had Financial Issues in the Past & Has Been Sued by a Credit Card Company
Hickerson is a South Carolina native who has appeared as an actor in one role, the 2017 movie M.F.A, where he played Officer Williams, according to his IMDB profile. He reported on a 2013 credit card application that he was a real estate agent, self-employed as the Director of Operations of Hickerson Property.
In September 2018, Radar Online shared Hickerson’s Instagram story in which he claimed to steal Panettiere’s credit card to buy what he wants. “When my girlfriend is sleeping, I hijack the credit card and buy cool shit like that,” he said, showing off a basketball net above the pool. This came just months after he was sued by credit card company Bank of Travelers Rest, who said that Hickerson owed over $13,000.
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