Brian Hickerson, the on-again, off-again boyfriend of the late actress Hayden Panettiere, has not yet publicly addressed her death, which occurred on August 16, 2026. Panettiere, known for her roles in "Heroes" and "Nashville," was found dead by an acquaintance in a South Carolina home. She was 36 years old.

Hickerson and Panettiere began their relationship in 2018, and their romance was marked by frequent turbulence and legal issues. Their relationship, which lasted until the actress's death, included multiple arrests and a restraining order.

Hickerson, originally from South Carolina, moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in real estate development and acting. He has limited acting credits, including an appearance in the 2017 film "M.F.A."

Relationship History

The couple was first romantically linked in August 2018, with sources telling Us Weekly at the time that they seemed happy and affectionate. However, their relationship soon became fraught with conflict. In May 2019, Hickerson was arrested for domestic violence following an alleged altercation with Panettiere. He was charged with felony domestic violence, and a judge ordered him to stay 100 yards away from the actress.

Despite the charges, the domestic violence case was dismissed in September 2019. The following February, Hickerson was arrested again in Wyoming on Valentine's Day after an alleged dispute with Panettiere, during which he reportedly struck her. Panettiere's face was reportedly red and swollen, and she sustained a scrape on her hand.

In July 2020, Panettiere was granted a restraining order against Hickerson. She later shared on Instagram that she was coming forward with her story to empower others in abusive relationships. That same month, Hickerson was arrested in Los Angeles and faced an eight-count indictment for alleged abusive incidents between May 2019 and January 2020.

In April 2021, Hickerson pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend as part of a plea deal. He was sentenced to 45 days in county jail, four years of formal probation, 52 mandatory domestic violence classes, and a five-year restraining order. He surrendered to jail in May 2021 to serve his sentence.

In May 2022, the pair was involved in a public altercation outside the Sunset Marquis hotel in Los Angeles. An eyewitness reported that the fight started inside the bar, and Panettiere was overheard telling Hickerson, "Brian, jail," apparently referencing his probation.

The couple officially separated for good in July 2022.

Memoir and Death

In her 2026 memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," Panettiere detailed the alleged domestic abuse she endured from Hickerson. She described incidents where he allegedly slammed her head against a wall and beat her face so severely that she was unable to leave the house for weeks. In May 2026, Hickerson admitted in an interview that he was abusive towards her and shared a story from their relationship where he threatened to throw a phone at her.

News of Panettiere's death on August 16, 2026, was confirmed by her father, Skip Panettiere. Law enforcement sources confirmed to TMZ that police responded to an incident involving the actress. The outlet also reported that Panettiere had flown from Los Angeles to South Carolina with Hickerson the day before her death. As of this publication, Hickerson has not publicly responded to Panettiere's death, though his family is reportedly aware of the situation.