Hayden Panettiere Speaks Out After Boyfriend Brian Hickerson’s Arrest: ‘Always Good’

After Hayden Panettiere’s boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, was arrested on February 14, the actress finally spoke out about how she was doing following the incident on Monday, February 24. First, the 30-year-old shared a photo of her ex-fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko, with their 5-year-old daughter, Kaya, on Twitter. “Best father ever,” she wrote in a since-deleted post on Sunday, February 23.

“Before or after he beat you?” one fan asked, confusing the athlete for Hickerson. “Wrong guy. Klitschko’s [are] legends. That’s my CHAMP,” the Nashville alum replied on social media.

Of course, Panettiere’s fans were concerned about her well-being. “Hayden, how you are doing? Are you OK?” a second user asked. “Always good,” she replied with a smiling emoji.

Hickerson, 30, was arrested on domestic battery charges in mid-February, In Touch confirmed at the time. The two allegedly got into a fight at their home in Wyoming, where Hickerson allegedly “struck” Panettiere “with a closed fist on the right side of her face,” according to court documents obtained by the Jackson Hole News&Guide. “The right side of [Panettiere’s] face was red and swollen.”

Per the paperwork, Hickerson told the authorities his girlfriend was saying he “beat the f—k out of her.” When deputies asked him the truth, his “demeanor immediately changed, and he avoided the question,” the report said.

In addition to Hickerson’s domestic battery charge, he was booked for interfering with a police officer for allegedly refusing to disclose his identity. The M.F.A. star appeared at Teton County Circuit Court on February 14 and was released on a $5,000 bond. His next court date is scheduled for March 12.

This is hardly the first time Hickerson and Panettiere have fought. In May 2019, Hickerson was arrested in L.A. for domestic violence after an alleged altercation with Panettiere. He was released on $50,000 bail. Following the occurrence, Hickerson was issued a protection order — he couldn’t come within 100 yards of Panettiere — by a Los Angeles County judge. However, the case was dropped in September after the New York native declined to testify.

At the end of the day, Panettiere’s friends and family are worried about her. “Their relationship is as dysfunctional as they come, and Brian’s recent arrest for domestic violence should be the last straw, but Hayden is going through some very tough times,” a source told In Touch exclusively in May 2019. “Honestly, no one seems to be able to get through to her.”

The insider added, “Hayden and Brian say they love each other, but when they drink, they’ll usually end up arguing and fighting. This time, Brian crossed the line.”

Ultimately, Panettiere — who previously dated Klitschko, 43, before moving on with Hickerson — and Hickerson are “a lot alike, but it’s very obvious that they’re not good for each other,” the source stated.

Those close to the starlet are worried about Hickerson’s drinking habits, too. “He becomes a different person,” a second insider explained. “Everyone is aware of what he is capable of.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.