Brian Hickerson, the former boyfriend of the late actress Hayden Panettiere, was photographed barefoot and positioned beneath a table during his August 2025 arrest in Los Angeles. The image, obtained by TMZ, shows Hickerson with his back to the wall at Barney's Beanery in West Hollywood, clutching the table above him with both hands.
One of his sneakers was visible on the floor next to him at the time of his detainment. A Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy was present in the photograph, standing beside the table and looking down at Hickerson.
According to TMZ, Hickerson was taken into custody due to erratic behavior at the bar while appearing to be under the influence. Sources told the outlet that he allegedly broke a glass and threw a shoe at another patron. His reaction to an employee attempting to remove him from the establishment led to the police being called. Authorities reportedly encountered difficulty in getting him to leave.
The owner of Barney's Beanery stated that Hickerson was not banned from the establishment, and prosecutors did not file charges due to insufficient evidence. Later that same week, Hickerson was arrested for allegedly being under the influence of a controlled substance. That case was dismissed after he entered a diversion program and completed 10 Narcotics Anonymous meetings.
Hickerson's legal troubles with Panettiere were previously marked by multiple arrests concerning alleged domestic violence. In 2021, he pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend and received a 45-day jail sentence, four years of probation, and an order to complete 52 domestic violence classes. Panettiere was also granted a five-year restraining order.
Panettiere, who died in August at age 36 from a suspected overdose, detailed their abusive relationship in her memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning." At the time of her death in South Carolina, she was with Hickerson. Authorities confirmed there were no signs of foul play at the scene. The cause of Panettiere's death remains under investigation, with the Drug Enforcement Administration reportedly joining the inquiry.