Brian Hickerson allegedly sent threatening texts to Hayden Panettiere after 2020 arrest

Court filings obtained by media outlets indicate that Brian Hickerson sent multiple texts to actress Hayden Panettiere after his February 14, 2020 arrest in Wyoming on domestic-battery charges. The messages, which included statements such as “Time to go to war I guess” and threats to “fire off emails” if she did not comply, were sent despite a court order barring him from contacting her.

The probable-cause affidavit attached to the case contains screenshots of the texts and notes that authorities viewed them as attempts to intimidate Panettiere into dropping the criminal case. Hickerson also wrote that he would be “fine in court” and suggested a “simple fix” involving a phone call.

Hickerson pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend and was sentenced to a year of probation after a suspended jail term. A request to have his felony convictions reduced to misdemeanors was denied by a judge in August, even though he had met probation conditions.

Panettiere was found unresponsive in a South Carolina apartment on August 12, 2024, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Her mother later criticized Hickerson for being present at the time of her daughter’s death. Hickerson’s brother, Zach, was also on the scene when emergency responders arrived.

The case highlights ongoing legal disputes and the enforcement of protective orders in domestic-violence situations.