Hayden Panettiere Dies; Ex-Boyfriend's DV Charges Denied

A Los Angeles judge denied Brian Hickerson’s petitions to reduce his 2021 felony domestic-violence convictions to misdemeanors and to expunge them, after prosecutors opposed the motions. Hickerson had pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend stemming from incidents with Hayden Panettiere between 2019 and 2020 and was sentenced to 45 days in jail, probation, and a restraining order. In the days around Panettiere’s death, reports reiterated that the couple had kept their rekindled romance private to protect her career while she promoted her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning. Multiple sources described a long, on-off relationship with a history of domestic-violence allegations, with some noting they remained together publicly during recent years and others suggesting pressure to distance themselves for professional reasons. Panettiere died in Greenville, South Carolina, and authorities described no initial signs of foul play, while investigators continue to examine the circumstances surrounding her death. Additional reporting has highlighted near-daily public reassurances from insiders that the couple did not break up as often as media narratives suggested.