Hayden Panettiere’s Death: Boyfriend Brian Hickerson's Abuse Allegations and Domestic Violence Arrest Resurface After Apparent Overdose

Hayden Panettiere's on-again-off-again partner's history of abuse has come back to the surface after the actress's shocking death in South Carolina.

Brian Hickerson appeared to be traveling with the 36-year-old from Los Angeles, Calif., the day before she died after suffering a suspected overdose. The pair dated from 2018 to 2022.

The actress detailed Hickerson's alleged abuse in her 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, prompting him to take accountability for his actions in an interview with TMZ.

"I think it speaks for itself," he said of his negative portrayal in the book shortly after its May release. "I got arrested for, you know, abusing her, and I wouldn't blame her friends for being p----- off at me."

"You've got to be vulnerable and, you know, I did it. I did it,” he shared.

Hickerson was arrested for multiple public instances of abuse against Panettiere. In 2019, he was ordered to stay away from her after leaving marks on her body during a fight he allegedly started in their home, according to Page Six.

In 2020, he was detained in Wyoming after allegedly striking Panettiere "with a closed fist on the right side of her face." She was granted a restraining order against him the following July.

The man spent 45 days in jail in 2021 after being indicted for multiple abuse charges ranging from May 2019 to January 2020.

But the following year, Hickerson and Panettiere got into a public, physical fight outside of a bar in Los Angeles, Calif., before allegedly splitting for good.

While Panettiere shared multiple stories about her rocky relationship with Hickerson in her memoir, there was one in particular he begged her not to include.

"I was drunk," he recalled. "Hayden was standing across the room, and I had a phone in my hand, and I said, 'Uh, Hayden,' I said, 'I'll give you 10 seconds to run as fast as you can before I throw it at you.'"

Panettiere was found dead at an apartment in Greenville, S.C., on August 16. While it is unclear why she was visiting the southern state, Hickerson is originally from South Carolina, and much of his family still resides there.

Police have said no foul play was detected after the actress was declared dead at the scene. Dispatch audio made mention of a potential "overdose" and "cardiac arrest."

"The case is under investigation by the Greenville Police Department in conjunction with the Greenville County Coroner's Office,” police stated.

“The preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. An acquaintance of Ms. Panettiere placed the 911 call," they concluded. "At this time, no further details are available for release."

Before her death, her ex referred to Panettiere as "one of the most talented people" he had ever come across.

"She probably doesn’t think the same way I think that Hayden is one of the most talented people I’ve ever met in my life," he gushed. "And I would be an idiot not to walk away from her and let her bull rush in her career. We probably wouldn’t be good together. I’d like to see what she’s gonna do with the next 30 years of her career."

The former couple allegedly remained friends after their breakup. Hickerson has not spoken publicly about her death.