Brian Hickerson suffered another legal setback involving his past domestic violence convictions just days before the death of his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Hayden Panettiere.
On August 13, a judge denied Hickerson’s requests to have two felony convictions reduced to misdemeanors and expunged, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office confirmed to Page Six. The ruling came three days before Panettiere died at age 36.
Hickerson pleaded no contest in April 2021 to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend stemming from incidents involving Panettiere between May 2019 and January 2020. He was sentenced to 45 days in county jail, four years of probation, 52 domestic violence classes, and a five-year restraining order.
According to the outlet, Hickerson had completed his probation requirements but had previously been denied a similar request in July 2025.
Who is Brian Hickerson?
Hickerson and Panettiere began dating in 2018 and continued a tumultuous relationship over the following years that included multiple domestic violence incidents. Panettiere later discussed those situations in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.
In the book, she revealed that Hickerson tried to smash her head into a wall and “busts up her face so badly I don’t leave the house for weeks.” She also discussed the difficulty of their relationship to Us Weekly in May. “Getting an abusive person out of your life is like trying to rip a weed out that is so entangled into your life,” she revealed.
Hickerson, who grew up in South Carolina, reportedly moved to Los Angeles to pursue real estate development and acting. He has one listed acting credit, the 2017 thriller M.F.A.
How did Hayden Panettiere die?
Panettiere was found unresponsive at a South Carolina apartment complex on Sunday, August 16.
911 dispatch audio obtained by multiple outlets reportedly described the emergency as an “overdose.” First responders performed chest compressions and advanced cardiac life support, but Panettiere was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m.
TMZ subsequently reported that Narcan, a medication capable of reversing an opioid overdose, was found at the scene. At this time, an official cause of death has not yet been announced.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of domestic violence, help is available 24 hours a day through the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.
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