Hayden Panettiere Spotted with Ex Brian Hickerson Again, Years After His Domestic Violence Arrest; Source Claims They're Just Friends
Hayden Panettiere is still spending time with her ex-boyfriend Brian Hickerson, but a source claims they are not together as a couple right now.
TMZ has photos of Hayden and Brian touching down at LAX Airport in Los Angeles on Monday (March 2). He was seen pushing their bags while she used crutches to help her walk.
Hayden told photographers that she’s recovering from pinched nerves in her lower back.
Sources told the outlet that the former couple are “just friends” now.
You might recall that Hayden and Brian went through some tumultuous times throughout their on-and-off-again relationship, during which he was arrested multiple times.
Keep reading to find out more…
The former couple began dating in 2018, when Hayden was still battling a painful addiction to alcohol and opioids. Brian was charged with domestic violence in May 2019 after an alleged incident with Hayden. She was subsequently issued a protective order, though the case was eventually dismissed. The two later reconciled and in July 2020, Brian was arrested on eight domestic violence charges. In April 2021, he was sentenced to 45 days in prison, after which he and Hayden reunited for a second time.
Hayden spoke to The New York Times in April 2023 for an interview about Scream 6. While the interview was being conducted, Hickerson was in the apartment with them, “walking around, vacuuming and shooting a basketball through the hoop in her living area.”
When asked if they were still together, Hayden responded, “There are feelings there, yes.”
She also apparently called him “babe” throughout the interview.
She also shared that she does not approve of his past behavior, adding, “He knows he deserved what happened to him. She also said that their reunion was “contingent on him continuing on this road of recovery.”
Both are sober now, and she said she is “self-conscious” about how it may look to the public. “I did not do any of this lightly,” she said of the decision to be with him.