Hayden Panettiere's Boyfriend Brian Hickerson Charged with Domestic Battery on Valentine's Day
Hayden Panettiere‘s boyfriend Brian Hickerson has been arrested again following a domestic dispute, Teton County Sheriff’s Office confirms to PEOPLE.
Hickerson, 30, was arrested on Valentine’s Day at around 2:30 a.m. after the Teton County Sheriff’s Office responded to a disturbance between Hickerson and a 30-year-old female at a private residence in Jackson, Wyoming.
Hickerson has been charged with domestic battery and interference with a cop, both misdemeanor charges in Wyoming, Teton County Sheriff’s Office said. The investigation is still ongoing.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Hickerson allegedly punched Panettiere, 30, “with a closed fist on the right side of her face.”
The docs reportedly state that authorities arrived at the private residence and found Hickerson in the driveway, who told them that the Nashville star was inside the home “saying he beat the f— out of me.”
Hickerson reportedly avoided answering the cops when asked if he had physically assaulted Panettiere, per TMZ.
RELATED: Hayden Panettiere Is Back with Brian Hickerson After Domestic Violence Case’s Dismissal: Source
The records reportedly state that Panettiere told the cops that Hickerson started throwing things at her face when they were in the bedroom together. Cops allegedly said in the court records that the actress’ face was red and swollen. She also allegedly had a scrape and swelling on her left hand.
PEOPLE reached out to Teton County Circuit Court to obtain the court documents.
A rep for Panettiere did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
In November, Panettiere and Hickerson were photographed together side-by-side in an airport, more than a month after Hickerson’s felony domestic violence charge was dismissed. A source confirmed at the time that the pair were back together.
Panettiere and Hickerson began dating after reports circulated that she and then-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko had split in August 2018. Klitschko, 43, and Panettiere share daughter Kaya, 5, who lives in Ukraine with her father.
PEOPLE previously reported that Panettiere’s relationship with Hickerson drew concern from those close to the Heroes alumna, especially after they were reportedly involved in a drunken altercation with his father in October 2018, prompting a visit from police. (No arrests were made.) And in May 2019, Hickerson was arrested on a domestic violence charge and released on bail.
According to the felony complaint obtained by PEOPLE, prosecutors had alleged Hickerson “willfully inflicted corporal injury resulting in a traumatic condition upon Hayden P.”
Hickerson was charged with one count of felony domestic violence on May 23 and pleaded not guilty, a spokesperson for the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office confirmed to PEOPLE at the time.
RELATED: Hayden Panettiere’s ‘Life is in Flux’ as 4-Year-Old Daughter Lives in Ukraine with Dad, Source Says
In July 2019, Hickerson reportedly appeared in court as a Los Angeles superior judge listened to the testimony from the police officer who responded to the domestic violence call on May 2. During the hearing, the judge denied the motion to dismiss criminal charges against Hickerson and declined to consider a lesser misdemeanor charge.
While Hickerson was facing up to four years in prison if convicted, his case was dismissed at the end of September.
“The case against Brian Hickerson was dismissed without prejudice today,” a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office told PEOPLE at the time. “Our office was unable to proceed because we could not secure a material witness. The protective order also was dismissed.”
