Brian Hickerson Denied Reduced Charges in DV Case with Hayden Panettiere

Brian Hickerson faced a significant legal setback just days prior to the tragic passing of his on-again, off-again partner, Hayden Panettiere, as confirmed by TMZ.

A judge rejected Hickerson’s plea to downgrade his previous felony domestic violence charges to misdemeanors. the request to expunge the felony convictions was also denied, as revealed in court documents accessed by TMZ.

The court’s decision was made on Thursday, August 13, just three days before Panettiere’s death at the age of 36. In April 2021, Hickerson pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend after a series of incidents involving Panettiere that occurred between May 2019 and January 2020. Initially, he faced an eight-count criminal case.

During the hearing on August 13, the prosecution opposed Hickerson’s latest motions. Judge Olivia Rosales ultimately ruled against the requests. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office confirmed the decision to Page Six, the first outlet to report on this development.

In 2021, Hickerson received a sentence of 45 days in jail, of which he completed 33 days. His punishment included four years of probation, mandatory domestic violence classes, and a five-year restraining order.

TMZ reported exclusively that Hayden and Brian had recently reconciled, choosing to keep their renewed relationship private to safeguard her career.

In May, we spoke with Brian, who expressed that he still envisioned marrying Hayden and hoped they would eventually reunite. While Brian seemed optimistic about a future proposal, Hayden’s reaction suggested she was not enthusiastic about the idea at that moment.

In May, Hayden was seen at LAX, where she dismissed the notion of marrying her then-boyfriend, but recent developments suggested a shift in her sentiments leading up to her death.

As reported, Hayden passed away on Sunday in Greenville, SC. A friend reportedly called 911 at 1:51 PM, suspecting that the “Nashville” actress was in cardiac arrest due to an overdose. She was pronounced dead at 2:32 PM after emergency responders attempted “advanced cardiac life support.”

It remains uncertain whether Brian was the one who made the emergency call or if there was another patient involved. Reports indicate that two ambulances responded to the scene, but ultimately no one was transported from the apartment, and the ambulances departed without a patient.