Hayden Panettiere’s Boyfriend Arrested For Domestic Violence After He Allegedly Hit Her (Reports)

Hayden Panettiere’s boyfriend Brian Hickerson has been arrested.

The 36-year-old was arrested on Valentine’s Day at 2:30 AM and booked for domestic battery and interference with a peace officer, The Teton County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Access Hollywood.  He was jailed for both misdemeanor charges.

TMZ reports that Hickerson allegedly put his hands on the actress following a fight and he hit her “with a closed fist on the right side of her face,” cops told the publication. Their published report adds that when police arrived, he was in the driveway and locked out of the house. But Hickerson reportedly told police that nothing happened and he paid their private chef to stay longer to be a witness, TMZ adds.

Brian Hickerson mug shot/ Teton County Sheriff’s Office

He reportedly appeared at the Teton County Circuit Court on Friday just hours after the incident and was released on a $5,000 bond.

This isn’t Hickerson’s first time facing charges over alleged domestic violence with Panettiere. In May 2019 he was arrested for domestic violence. He pled not guilty to one count of felony domestic violence, the judge issued a protective order to the “Heroes” star against him but reports suggested that the two were still in contact. The May 2019 case and protective order were both dropped a few months later in September when the court couldn’t secure a material witness, a courtroom source confirmed to the Daily News at the time.

In November 2018, Access Hollywood spoke to Hickerson after a report surfaced in Us Weekly that the “Nashville” alum’s friends and family were worried about her relationship. But he told Access Hollywood in an exclusive statement that those claims are totally false. “Just to be clear, Hayden’s friends and family are not worried about her at all. Hayden is happy and healthy and so is our relationship. That is all I will comment on so please respect my privacy,” he told Access. “Have a great day.”

The couple began dating in 2018 shortly after she split from fiancé Wladimir Klitschko, who she shares daughter Kaya with. The 4-year-old has been living with her dad in Ukraine since August 2018. The “Bring It On: All or Nothing” actress’ last shared a photo of her daughter in February 2019 when she tweeted a photo of the toddler strapped into her car seat.