On Valentine’s Day, Wyoming police arrested Hayden Panettiere’s boyfriend, a real estate agent named Brian Hickerson, for domestic violence after he allegedly punched the actress.
This was not Hickerson’s first arrest following an allegedly violent incident with Panettiere; last year he was ordered to stay 100 yards away away from the actress after another arrest in May, although the case was subsequently dropped.
Police confirmed Tuesday to Page Six that they had charged Hickerson for domestic battery. As TMZ reported, police in Jackson, Wyoming responded early in the morning on Friday to a complaint that a man, intoxicated, was locked outside his home after allegedly punching his girlfriend in the face. Per TMZ, police documents state that when authorities arrived, Panettiere’s face was red and swollen, as was her left hand, which also showed a scrape.
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Hickerson and Panettiere’s domestic disputes have involved police a few times in the past. In 2018, Panettiere called police during an altercation between Hickerson and his father. In May of 2019, Los Angeles police arrested Hickerson after another fight between him and Panettiere, which allegedly followed a night of drinking. Although Hickerson was ordered to stay yards away from Panettiere, the case was dismissed months later, and by November, Page Six notes, the two had apparently reunited.
A representative for Panettiere did not immediately respond to The Daily Beast’s request for comment.
