Celebrity3 min(s) read
An interview clip from May this year featuring Brian Hickerson has resurfaced after the death of his ex-girlfriend, Hayden Panettiere. The actress died on August 16 after emergency responders answered a 911 call indicating CPR was in progress at a South Carolina rental residence.
An investigation into her death is active, though preliminary autopsy results showed no signs of trauma. Officials noted that Hickerson appeared emotionless when informed of the situation.
Following the news, past comments made by Hickerson regarding domestic abuse allegations have brought attention back to his history with the late star. The two shared a complicated on-and-off relationship that Panettiere documented in her book, This Is Me: A Reckoning.
In the resurfaced interview with TMZ, Hickerson spoke candidly about his past behavior and discussed one specific incident he originally wished had been kept out of the published text.
During the interview, Hickerson recalled an argument where he threatened Panettiere while under the influence. “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,’” he said.
He acknowledged that reading about his actions was difficult, admitting, “Who wants to read something about themselves, right? But you gotta be vulnerable, and I did it. I did it, so.”
Reflecting further on their history, he mentioned, “I went into such a dark place, man, drugs, alcohol. Good God, almighty, she’s 5-foot-2 on paper, 4-foot-11 in real life. I mean, come on.”
The pair faced multiple public issues over the years, including a 2020 arrest where Wyoming authorities stated Hickerson struck Panettiere with a closed fist. In her memoir, Panettiere reflected on the difficulty of leaving the situation.
She previously explained to Us Weekly, “Getting an abusive person out of your life is like trying to rip a weed out that is so entangled into your life, and every time you pull it out another weed pops back up and you’re like, I thought I killed this”.
She added, “They always manage to find a way to slither back in, even if you’re an incredibly strong-willed person”.
Hickerson eventually faced legal consequences for his actions. In April 2021, he pleaded no contest to two felony counts related to domestic violence, leading to a sentence of 45 days in county jail, four years of probation, and a five-year restraining order.
Just days before Panettiere passed away, a judge denied his attempt to reduce his past felony convictions to misdemeanors.
.webp_SmgFsc?tr=cr-292.0.1244.952,f-webp,q-70,w-100)