Brian Hickerson, the on-again, off-again boyfriend of the late actress Hayden Panettiere, was arrested on August 2, 2025, at Barney's Beanery in West Hollywood. New photos published by TMZ show Hickerson barefoot and concealing himself under a table at the bar during the incident.
According to sources cited by TMZ, Hickerson arrived at the establishment appearing to be under the influence and acting erratically. The situation escalated when he allegedly broke a drinking glass and threw a shoe at another patron, prompting staff to ask him to leave. When he refused, police were called.
Law enforcement officers reportedly had difficulty removing Hickerson from the premises, and he was eventually arrested outside the bar. The owner of Barney's Beanery stated that Hickerson is not banned from the restaurant.
Prosecutors declined to press charges in the 2025 incident due to insufficient evidence. However, Hickerson was arrested again four days later for allegedly being under the influence of a controlled substance. He entered a diversion program and had that case dismissed after completing 10 Narcotics Anonymous meetings.
This arrest occurred about a year before Panettiere's death on August 16, 2026, at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina. Officials suspect her death was due to a drug overdose, and Hickerson was with her at the time.
Around the time of his 2025 arrest, Hickerson had reportedly been exchanging messages with a 26-year-old woman in Greenville, South Carolina. The woman, who spoke to Page Six anonymously, stated she met Hickerson at a bar in Greenville on March 28, 2025. She recalled being heavily intoxicated during their initial encounter and not remembering much of the night. Hickerson had followed her on Instagram and sent messages suggesting a date.
Hickerson and Panettiere, who had been linked since 2018, had a tumultuous relationship. In April 2021, Hickerson pleaded no contest to two felony counts of domestic abuse stemming from a July 2020 arrest. He received a 45-day jail sentence and four years of probation, along with a court order to complete domestic violence classes. Other charges were dropped, and Panettiere was issued a five-year protective order that had expired earlier in 2026.
In a statement following Panettiere's death, Hickerson's lawyer, Sloan Ellis, noted that police confirmed there were no signs of foul play and that the investigation was ongoing, requesting no further comment out of respect for the family.