Brian Hickerson, Hayden Panettiere's on-and-off boyfriend, suffered a legal setback just days before the actress's death at age 36, according to reports. A judge denied his request to have his past felony domestic violence charges reduced or expunged on August 13, 2026, three days before Panettiere died, as confirmed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
Legal History and Sentencing
Hickerson pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend in 2021. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail, four years of formal probation, 52 domestic violence classes, $500 in restitution, and a five-year protective order. The charges stemmed from alleged incidents between May 2019 and January 2020, leading to his arrest in 2020 on multiple felony charges, including four counts of corporal injury on a spouse/cohabitant, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of intimidating a witness, plus a misdemeanor battery charge.
Most of those charges were dropped during sentencing. Hickerson's petition for dismissal noted he had fulfilled the conditions of his probation, according to court documents obtained by Page Six. However, Judge Olivia Rosales denied his request, with the prosecution protesting both motions to expunge or reduce the record.
Previous Appeal and Panettiere's Advocacy
This was reportedly the second time Hickerson made such an appeal. He made the same request in July 2025 and was similarly denied, according to the publication. Panettiere's representative confirmed her death on Monday, describing her as an 'incredible light' who brought 'immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her.'
After Hickerson's arrest in 2020, Panettiere said: 'I am coming forward with the truth about what happened to me with the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve. I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again. I'm grateful for my support system, which helped me find the courage to regain my voice and my life.'
In her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, Panettiere candidly wrote about suffering physical abuse and her struggles to cut off Hickerson, who she was still in a relationship with in the months before her death. She told 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, and every time you pull it out another weed pops back up and you're like, I thought I killed this. They always manage to find a way to slither back in, even if you're an incredibly strong-willed person… I still struggled to fully put a kibosh to it for a while.'
Impact and Aftermath
The denial of Hickerson's request means his felony convictions remain on his record, maintaining the protective order against him. Panettiere's death has prompted an outpouring of tributes, with her ex Wladimir Klitschko expressing deep sadness. The legal outcome underscores the ongoing consequences of domestic violence cases, even as the actress's family and fans mourn her loss.
