Hayden Panettiere’s Boyfriend Brian Hickerson Issued a Restraining Order After Domestic Violence Charge

He can’t come anywhere near her. Hayden Panettiere’s boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, has been issued a protective order by a Los Angeles County judge and can’t come within 100 yards of the actress after he was arrested on a felony domestic violence charge on May 2, according to documents obtained by In Touch.

Radar Online first broke the news on May 23. At the arraignment in Los Angeles court, the 30-year-old was also forbidden from owning any firearms and he is not allowed to reach out to his girlfriend via phone calls or emails. Notably, the District Attorney also claimed that there are other, unreported incidents of domestic violence in the relationship. Hickerson pleaded not guilty to this particular charge.

In early May, Hickerson was arrested on domestic violence charges. He was taken into custody by the Los Angeles Police Department in the early morning hours on May 2 and booked into jail at 6:15 a.m. His bail was set at $50,000, according to records obtained by In Touch. Hickerson posted bail and was released at 3:15 p.m. Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel, told Radar Online she didn’t know about the arrest but wasn’t surprised. “I’m in shock,” she said. “I knew he had an incident with his father and he has a tendency to do that [physical violence],” she revealed. “Never had I thought it would be against Hayden or I would have addressed it sooner. I have addressed many things.”

During the May 2 incident, the prosecutor said 29-year-old Panettiere sustained injuries and ended up with bruises on her arms, ear, and neck area. “He hit her on the face, causing her to get dizzy,” the prosecutor said at the arraignment.

In November, a source previously revealed to Us Weekly that the relationship between the actress and her boyfriend “is not a healthy situation.” While the couple was visiting Hickerson’s family in South Carolina in October, police were called to his father’s house. An incident report noted that his father had “what appeared to be blood on his face,” and Panettiere, who answered the door, “appeared to be frantic.”

“Her family and friends are worried about her,” a source told Life & Style in October. “Hayden’s been drinking too much and acting out. Wladimir was a calming influence on her. Now that he’s not in the picture, she seems to be losing control.” Hopefully, this protective order will help her regain some of that control.