Hayden Panettiere's friends claim Brian Hickerson had 'isolated' her
What's the story
Hayden Panettiere's on-and-off relationship with Brian Hickerson has been a cause of concern for her friends. A source told Page Six that "Hayden's friends felt like Brian had isolated her from them over the years." "They were really worried about her and felt like she had become more and more cut off from the people who cared about her."
Concerns
Her friends hoped she'd leave Hickerson for good
The source further revealed, "They always hoped she would eventually leave him for good and reconnect with the people who loved and supported her."
"It was really hard for them to watch."
Another source had previously noted, "If Brian was back in her life, then it was something she was hiding because she wasn't speaking about it with many of her friends."
Reunion
Panettiere and Hickerson were last seen together in March
Panettiere and Hickerson were last seen together in March 2026, sparking rumors of a reconciliation.
Just two weeks before her untimely demise, the actor had reconnected with Hickerson.
A source told Page Six that he was allegedly with her for about a week in Los Angeles before they headed east to South Carolina, where he is from.
Reportedly, Hickerson and his brother Zach Hickerson were present at the scene of Panettiere's death on August 16.
Abuse allegations
Timeline of Panettiere-Hickerson's relationship
Hickerson and Panettiere were first linked in 2018. Their relationship was marred by multiple alleged incidents of domestic violence.
He was arrested for felony domestic violence in May 2019 after an alleged altercation with Panettiere at their home.
In February 2020, he was arrested again in Wyoming after another alleged domestic dispute with her, where he allegedly struck the actor "with a closed fist on the right side of her face."