2017 Battery Claim Surfaces as Hickerson Faces New Charges

Brian Hickerson, the actor who faced a long‑running legal saga with actress Hayden Panettiere, had already been the subject of an alleged battery claim by a former girlfriend in 2017.

The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office later sought to use that earlier allegation as evidence in the case that charged Hickerson with domestic violence after Panettiere was injured on May 2, 2019.

The August 13, 2017 police response came after a call from a woman who had dated Hickerson for five months. She reported a verbal argument at their home, followed by an interruption of her bath when Hickerson allegedly accused her of sending nude photos to other men and slammed his phone against the floor, breaking it.

Hickerson denied knowing his partner’s phone was damaged, and the victim declined criminal prosecution. No charges were filed against him in that incident, though the DA considered the claim relevant to proving a pattern of abuse in the later Panettiere case.

## Background & Context

In May 2019, police responded to neighbor complaints at Hayden Panettiere’s Los Angeles residence on May 2, after hearing screams. Officers observed more than ten darker bruises on Panettiere’s arms, back and legs.

The actress attributed the injuries to a separate incident that had occurred a few days earlier while she and Hickerson were vacationing in Puerto Rico.

The DA requested that the court allow testimony from the 2017 incident’s witness, arguing that both alleged acts demonstrated Hickerson’s “propensity for violence against women he dates.” The DA noted that the two incidents were fresh in his criminal history and had been supplied to the defense well before trial.

Hickerson was arrested and charged with felony domestic violence following the May 2 incident, and he pleaded not guilty. A judge issued a protective order barring contact with Panettiere, but prosecutors could not secure a material witness, leading to dismissal without prejudice in September of that year.

## What Happened

Hickerson’s legal troubles escalated after the 2019 incident. In February 2020 he was arrested again for allegedly punching Panettiere in the face in Jackson, Wyoming, and charged with domestic battery and interference with a cop—both misdemeanors. He pleaded not guilty.

July 2020 brought a fresh wave of felony charges: four counts of corporal injury on a spouse/cohabitant, two assault counts, and one charge of intimidating a witness. Hickerson entered a plea agreement, pleading no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse/girlfriend; the remaining six counts were dismissed.

The court sentenced him to 45 days in county jail, four years of formal probation, 52 domestic violence classes, $500 restitution, and a five‑year protective order. A request to reduce those felony charges was denied only three days before Panettiere’s death.

Panettiere died on August 16 while staying at a South Carolina Airbnb with Hickerson. Dispatch audio recorded officials discussing an “overdose” and “cardiac arrest” during the incident. Hickerson supplied officers with a “bag of medication” that Panettiere had been taking at the time.

Hickerson’s brother, Zach, told a reporter that Brian administered Narcan after noticing the actress was unconscious, and they performed CPR until emergency services arrived. The Greenville County Coroner’s Office confirmed a parallel investigation with the city police department; the autopsy found no trauma contributing to death.

The Drug Enforcement Agency has joined the investigation.

Panettiere’s cause and manner of death remain pending further study.

In response, Hickerson’s attorney Sloan Ellis said, “Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed.” He added that police had found no signs of foul play and that no further comment would be made until the inquiry concludes.

## Legal Developments and Current Status

The 2017 alleged battery claim remains an unfiled accusation; the victim chose not to pursue criminal action. The DA’s effort to introduce that testimony in the Panettiere case was part of a broader strategy to demonstrate a pattern of violence.

The court ultimately dismissed the 2019 domestic violence charge due to lack of witnesses, but subsequent arrests and pleas in 2020 and 2021 established multiple felony convictions and a custodial sentence.

Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel, publicly criticized Hickerson, stating she had recently learned her daughter was dating him again and that she had been “trying to get rid of [him] for quite some time.” She also delivered an ultimatum to the actor during a Good Morning America interview.

The case remains unresolved. While the coroner has found no evidence of trauma, the death investigation continues under the supervision of the Greenville County Coroner’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Hickerson’s legal team maintains that the incident was a medical emergency, and no further public statements have been issued.

In a world where allegations of domestic violence often ripple across legal systems, this series of events underscores how earlier accusations can reemerge in later prosecutions, shaping judicial narratives even when initial charges are never filed.

The outcome of the ongoing investigations will likely set a precedent for how such patterns are treated in future cases.