Hayden Panettiere Breaks Her Silence Following Boyfriend Brian Hickerson's Domestic Battery Arrest

Hayden Panettiere has broken her silence after her boyfriend Brian Hickerson was arrested for domestic violence earlier this month, praising her ex Wladimir Klitschko in a Twitter post on Sunday, Feb. 23. The now-deleted post was a photo of Klitschko holding hands with the pair's 5-year-old daughter, Kaya, which Panettiere captioned, "Best father ever," the Daily Mail reports. The actress also posted and deleted a photo of her daughter with face paint on with the caption "stunner."

One fan, who appeared to confuse Klitschko for Hickerson, replied, "Before or after he beat you." "Wrong guy," Panettiere tweeted back. "Klitschko's r legends. That's my CHAMP."

Another fan asked, "Hayden, how are you doing are you okay?" "Always good," the actress replied with a smiling emoji.

Panettiere and Klitschko dated on and off for nine years. They got engaged in 2013 before Kaya was born in December 2014 and called it quits in 2018. Panettiere began dating Hickerson in 2019. The aspiring actor was arrested on Feb. 14 while the couple was in Wyoming. Court documents state that the victim called police after Hickerson punched her in the face, the Jackson Hole News & Guide reports.

"Hickerson then struck [victim] with a closed fist on the right side of her face. The right side of [victim's] face was red and swollen," the documents state, adding that the victim had a fresh scrape and swelling on the top of her left hand that she believed came from Hickerson's watch.

Upon arrival, officers reportedly found Hickerson in the driveway of the home in Jackson where he allegedly told them that Panettiere was in the house "saying he beat the f— out of me." Hickerson reportedly avoided answering whether he had punched his girlfriend and his "demeanor immediately changed" when he was asked the question, which he "avoided." Hickerson added that he hired a private chef so he "wouldn't be accused of bulls—." Police say they spoke to the chef on the phone, who said he left shortly after 1 a.m. but had heard the couple arguing earlier in the evening.

Hickerson was arrested for domestic battery and he was also charged with interfering with a police officer after allegedly refusing to identify himself. He was released from jail on a $5,000 bond and has a court date scheduled for March 12.

The 30-year-old was previously arrested for allegedly felony domestic violence in May 2019. TMZ reported that Hickerson was arrested after an argument with Panettiere turned physical when the pair reportedly into a disagreement after a night out. The case was dismissed after not being able to secure a material witness.

Photo Credit: Getty / Amanda Edwards