Judge denies Hickerson’s bid to erase abuse charges days before Panettiere’s death
Hayden Panettiere’s on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson had a judge deny his petition to reduce or expunge two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend—charges tied to abuse against Panettiere—just three days before her death. Hickerson pled no contest to the 2021 charges stemming from 2019–2020 incidents and was sentenced to 45 days in county jail, four years of probation, 52 DV classes and a five-year restraining order. He had previously sought to dismiss or reduce the felonies in 2025 and again in 2026, with prosecutors opposing. Panettiere died Aug. 17, 2026 in an apparent overdose, with Narcan found at the scene.
