Hayden Panettiere's boyfriend arrested after allegedly punching her
Brian Hickerson was arrested on Friday, February 14, in Jackson, Wyoming, following an alleged physical dispute with girlfriend Hayden Panettiere, according to TMZ. The Jackson Hole News & Guide was the first to report the news.
Hickerson, 30, was reportedly arrested around 2:30 a.m. after a fight in which he allegedly struck her “with a closed fist on the right side of her face,” the police told the site.
When authorities arrived following a concerned call, Hickerson was in the driveway of an Indian Springs Drive house. He reportedly told police the actress was inside “saying he beat the f–k out of me,” according to documents obtained by TMZ. Police added he wouldn’t answer when they asked if he hit her.
According to the docs, the Nashville alum, 30, told police they were arguing and then he threw her around and punched her. Her face was reportedly red and swollen, and she had a scrape and swelling on her left hand. Hickerson was booked for domestic battery and a second charge of interfering with a police officer after allegedly refusing to identify himself.
The deputies heard enough to book Hickerson for domestic battery. He was also hit with a second charge of interfering with a police officer for allegedly refusing to identify himself. He reportedly appeared at Teton County Circuit Court on Friday afternoon and was released on a $5,000 bond.
This is not the first domestic dispute between the pair, who started dating in 2018, following her split from fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko, with whom she shares 4-year-old daughter Kaya.
In May 2019, Hickerson was arrested for domestic violence after an argument. The charges were eventually dropped. Following the incident, a judge granted the Heroes alum with a protective order against Hickerson. However, her friends and family felt that the two were still in contact.
“It’s disturbing to family and friends that Hayden and Brian may not be following the court order,” an insider shared with Us Weekly exclusively at the time. “There is not one single person out there who isn’t concerned about Hayden. What Brian did to Hayden is unacceptable behavior, and it’s not to be tolerated.”
In November, a source close to his family revealed they are “extremely concerned for his safety when he is with Hayden,” noting that they are “terrified that Brian will once again find himself accused of domestic violence.”
The insider added, “Hayden and Brian are very toxic for each other.”
Additionally, Klitschko, 43, believes Brian is “controlling Hayden and enabling all of her bad habits” and is an “overall bad guy,” a source told Us.
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