Hayden Panettiere’s Boyfriend Brian Hickerson Permanently Banned From Multiple Greenville Bars Before Her Death: Sources

Hayden Panettiere’s boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, was permanently banned from at least three Greenville-area bars in the two to three months before the actress’ death, according to TMZ.

Sources with direct knowledge told the outlet that Hickerson was barred from Hooters, Twin Peaks and another Greenville bar. The bans reportedly stemmed from concerns about his excessive drinking and behavior when intoxicated.

Sources described Hickerson as “often nice, kind, and engaging” with employees when he was sober. But, according to TMZ, they said his demeanor could change dramatically after drinking, claiming he could become “erratic and irate” when intoxicated.

They also alleged that Hickerson would sometimes fail to listen when staff members asked him to leave because they believed he had become too drunk.

The reported bar bans come as authorities continue investigating the sudden death of Panettiere, who was found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest at a Greenville residence on Sunday. The actress, best known for Heroes and Nashville, was 36.

The Greenville County Coroner’s Office said emergency responders attempted advanced cardiac life support measures, but “resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.” Panettiere was pronounced deceased at 2:32 p.m.

An autopsy found “no signs of trauma” that would have contributed to her death. However, officials have stressed that the official cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and additional studies, per Daily Mail.

Hickerson and his brother, Zach, were at the apartment when the Hollywood star was found, per TMZ. An officer who responded to the residence said Zach was “very emotional” while EMS crews were working on Panettiere, while “Brian did not become emotional until EMS declared her officially deceased.”

Hickerson also reportedly showed police a “bag of medications” the Scream actress had been taking, although the names of those medications were redacted from the report.

Panettiere and Hickerson first became romantically linked in 2018. Their relationship later became the subject of multiple domestic violence allegations.

In 2020, Hickerson was arrested following an alleged altercation involving Panettiere. He was ultimately charged with multiple offenses and pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or partner. He served time in jail and was sentenced to four years of probation, anger management and Alcoholics Anonymous sessions, per New York Times.

The Heroes actres later opened up about the relationship and the abuse she said she experienced. In her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, she wrote candidly about Hickerson’s time behind bars and her complicated feelings toward him.

“I wanted Brian to be in jail just long enough to scare him, but not long enough where he’d become a worse person,” she wrote.

“I needed him to admit his wrongs and change because of them,” Panettiere added.

She also wrote about making the decision to “let go of my resentment” and try to forgive Hickerson.

Their relationship remained complicated even after the criminal case.

In 2022, Panettiere described the relationship as “a very dark and complicated time in my life,” while telling People, “I am trying to live in a place of understanding.”

“I think [Hickerson] has done his time and was willing to get help,” she said.

She added, “None of it is okay, and I want to make sure that everybody knows that.”

Despite their turbulent history, the pair continued to cross paths over the years. He also attended the funeral of her brother, Jansen Panettiere, in 2023.

The pair were reportedly seen together as recently as March 2026, even though Panettiere had also taken steps to distance herself from Hickerson, per reports.