Hayden Panettiere’s Friends Were Worried After She Reconnected With Abusive Ex

Hayden Panettiere’s death has left fans and those close to her grieving. The actress, who was 36, was found unresponsive on Sunday, August 16. Her father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed her death that same day, describing her as “an incredible light and a force of nature.”

In the weeks before her death, friends and people in Panettiere’s inner circle were reportedly concerned about her after she began spending time again with Brian Hickerson, her former boyfriend who had been accused of domestic violence against her.

“Hayden seemed to be doing well [recently], but there was still concern among her friends and inner circle,” a source told Us Weekly. “Especially because she started spending time with Brian again.”

The source said people close to Panettiere remembered the difficult period she experienced during her relationship with Hickerson and worried that reconnecting with him could lead her back into a harmful situation.

“That relationship and association had led her down a dark path in the past,” the source said. “There were concerns and her friends really hoped she was doing OK.”

Panettiere and Hickerson were first linked in 2018. The following year, he was arrested after an alleged domestic violence incident involving the actress. He was charged with felony domestic violence and ordered to stay away from her, although the charges were later dropped.

Hickerson was arrested again in 2020 following another domestic violence incident involving Panettiere. He later served 33 days in prison. After his release in 2021, he was placed on four years of probation and ordered to pay a $500 fine.

Panettiere later spoke publicly about the abuse in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, which was released in May. She described the experience as “brutal,” “traumatic” and “emotional.”

In the book, she recounted alleged incidents in which Hickerson slapped and severely beat her. Panettiere said she wanted to share what happened so that other people experiencing abuse would know they were not alone.

“I needed to believe that it happened for a reason,” she told Us Weekly. “For something so horrible to happen, the only thing that I could think of to make it all worth it, was [to] let people know that they’re not alone and help people.”

Panettiere also emphasized that leaving an abusive relationship can take time but is possible.

“And even though it took her years to truly get herself out of the situation, it’s possible. You can do it,” she said.

Despite the personal struggles she faced, people close to Panettiere described her as supportive and optimistic. The source told Us Weekly that she remained a “very supportive friend” and was often a joyful person to be around.

Panettiere had also faced other difficult challenges over the years, including postpartum depression and addiction. Her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, died in February 2023 at age 28.

According to the source, Panettiere was “fighting a lot of demons behind the scenes,” but she remained hopeful about her future. Publishing her memoir reportedly gave her a sense of relief and made her feel that she could use her experiences to help others.

“She wanted to be a bright light and an advocate and always talked about wanting to help people,” the source said.

Hickerson spoke to TMZ in May, around the time Panettiere’s memoir was released, and said he could imagine marrying her someday, while also acknowledging that they “probably wouldn’t be good together.”

Panettiere rejected that possibility. On May 13, she told the outlet, “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

As fans remember Panettiere’s career and her struggles away from the spotlight, those close to her say she continued trying to find hope and purpose despite the challenges she faced.