Who’s Hayden Panettiere’s on-off sales exec boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, who had previously been arrested for DV and assault? The pair was first linked in 2018, but split and reconciled later on

Oct 19 , 2024

Hollywood actress Hayden Panettiere and her on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson have an unstable relationship. Photos: @haydenpanettiere, @brianhickerson_/Instagram

Panettiere allegedly checked into rehab recently and while she didn’t confirm whether Hickerson had been thrown out of her home, he posted about his mental health struggles on IG earlier this year

Actress Hayden Panettiere has been the centre of media attention for a while now – and not always in a good way.

After a recent People interview where she opened up about grappling with the loss of her younger brother Jansen Panettiere, who passed away last year from an undiagnosed heart condition, fans expressed concern and speculated about her apparently slurred manner of speech and tired appearance. The “Wake Up Call” singer has struggled with alcohol and opioid addiction before, which made the controversy even worse.

The Scream VI actress took to her Instagram to clarify: “Grief looks different on everyone. Whether or not I am on medication is none of anyone’s business and is between me and my doctor.” She also spoke out about “the toxicity of social media, and a news cycle that is driven by click bait”, insisting that she was simply exhausted during the interview.

Some time later, InTouch Weekly reported exclusively that, upon a family member’s intervention, Panettiere had checked into rehab and her on-again off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, had been thrown out of her home. Panettiere has neither confirmed nor denied this, as she posted a new IG update of herself on holiday, having escaped Hurricane Milton.

So, what else do we know about the Nashville actress’ volatile beau, Brian Hickerson?

What does Brian Hickerson do for work?

Brian Hickerson is interested in motorcycles. Photo: @mvagusta.losangeles/Instagram

Hickerson graduated from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in business, management and marketing – and is now a sales executive, according to his LinkedIn. Hollywood Life reports that Hickerson is an actor and a real estate agent. He was also in the 2017 film M.F.A., which starred Clint Eastwood’s daughter Francesca, but has not acted since.

He was arrested for domestic violence

Brian Hickerson was arrested multiple times for domestic violence. Photo: @brianhickerson_/Instagram

Panettiere started dating Hickerson in 2018. The following year, he was arrested on charges of felony domestic violence. Per US Weekly, the couple split briefly but reconciled and dated until February 2020, when he was arrested again for allegedly the same reason. A few months later, he was charged with eight counts of domestic violence and assault, two of which he pleaded no contest to.

After serving time in prison, he reportedly got back together with the 35-year-old some time in late 2022. As a result of his 2019 and 2020 arrests, Hickerson’s currently on probation through 2025.