Why was Hayden Panettiere's ex Brian Hickerson detained?
What's the story
Brian Hickerson, the on-and-off boyfriend of late Hollywood actor Hayden Panettiere, was detained and released without charges following a bar fight in South Carolina. The incident took place at Wild Wing Cafe in Greenville, where Hickerson and his brother Zach were reportedly involved in an altercation with other patrons. Despite being detained, Hickerson was released without charges while Zach was arrested for disorderly conduct due to his high level of intoxication.
Incident details
Hickerson was seen shouting about his late girlfriend
While being detained by police, Hickerson was seen in a video on X being handcuffed by officers. He was heard shouting, "GPD leaked it when my girlfriend died," referring to Panettiere's recent death.
In another video from inside the bar, he was seen throwing a chair while people called for him to stop.
A man then picked him up from behind as another patron yelled for them to let go of him.
Tragic loss
Panettiere died on August 16
Panettiere was found dead at an apartment complex on August 16, just five days before her 37th birthday. The authorities found her "unresponsive" and "in cardiac arrest."
Hickerson had shown officers a "bag of medication" during the incident. Both brothers were at the scene when emergency services arrived.
Probe into Panettiere's death hasn't indicated any signs of foul play.
She had dated Hickerson on and off from 2018 to 2021, during which she alleged he physically and emotionally abused her.
Ongoing probe
Statement following Panettiere's death
Reportedly, the two had reunited shortly before the Heroes star's demise.
Following Panettiere's death, her representative requested people not to speculate about the circumstances.
The statement said, "Many people who were not close to Hayden are using her death as an opportunity to fuel gossip and speculation about a situation they knew very little about."
It added that those closest to Panettiere are cooperating with the ongoing investigation.