Hayden Panettiere's on-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, a convicted felon, spoke about domestic abuse he inflicted on the late actress in a resurfaced interview. The conversation occurred approximately three months before Panettiere's death at age 36.

Panettiere was found unresponsive at an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina, and later pronounced dead at the scene. Police are investigating the death, but preliminary findings have not indicated foul play. The actress and Hickerson had reportedly traveled to South Carolina, where Hickerson is from, the day before her death.

Hickerson was previously convicted for abusing Panettiere. In April 2021, he pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend and served 13 days of a 45-day jail sentence. In July 2020, he had been arrested on eight charges of domestic violence. The remaining charges were dropped following his plea.

In a May interview with TMZ, Hickerson discussed the domestic violence incidents during their relationship and his reaction to Panettiere detailing the abuse in her memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning." He mentioned an incident where he threatened Panettiere with a thrown phone while drunk.

"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,'" Hickerson recalled. He also stated, "I did it. I did it."

Hickerson attributed his actions partly to not being taught about domestic violence early in life. He called the memoir "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."

Panettiere and Hickerson had an on-again, off-again relationship from 2018 to 2022, marked by domestic violence incidents and arrests. Panettiere began dating Hickerson while dealing with substance abuse issues shortly after finishing the final season of "Nashville."

In May 2019, Hickerson was arrested for domestic violence involving Panettiere, leading to a protective order against him. Those charges were later dropped. Following his July 2020 arrest, Panettiere released a statement hoping her story would empower others in abusive relationships and expressed her commitment to preventing him from harming others again.

Panettiere told People that she maintained the sentiments from her earlier statement, adding, "None of it is OK." She also acknowledged that individuals in abusive situations are on their own unique journeys.

In March 2022, Panettiere and Hickerson were involved in a bar brawl at a Los Angeles venue. TMZ reported Hickerson initiated the fight by spitting on a patron, though a representative for Panettiere stated Hickerson made a comment about a tip left for a waitress.

Panettiere expressed a desire to live with understanding regarding her history with Hickerson, stating, "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. Making amends is a really important thing that you learn in treatment. And it gives you a lot of inner peace."

Hickerson confirmed they were no longer together but had repaired their friendship, stating they were "just friends." He was seen traveling with Panettiere in March.

In a May interview, Hickerson expressed hope for a future with Panettiere, but also acknowledged the relationship was unhealthy. "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," he said.

Nearly a month before Panettiere's death, Hickerson filed a petition in Los Angeles County Superior Court to expunge his record of domestic abuse charges related to the actress. The petition was denied on August 13 by Judge Olivia Rosales, just three days before Panettiere was found deceased.

Hickerson had completed his probation on August 1 and had filed the petition to change his felony charges to misdemeanors and expunge them from his record. Prosecutors reportedly opposed these attempts. He had filed earlier petitions to dismiss the case in July and June.

Hickerson stated in legal documents that he had finished his probation when requesting the court dismiss the case. He also commented, "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. You never lay hands on a woman, bottom line."