Hayden Panettiere's boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, has been arrested for domestic battery, ET can confirm.
A spokesman for the Teton County Sheriff's Office in Wyoming tells ET that Hickerson was arrested for domestic battery on Feb. 14. ET has reached out to attorneys for Panettiere and Hickerson for comment.
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According to TMZ, the Teton County Sheriff's Office was notified of a disturbance at a private residence at around 2:30 a.m. on Valentine's Day and the caller said an intoxicated male was locked out of the home because he punched his girlfriend in the face. According to documents obtained by the outlet, cops allege Hickerson struck Panettiere "with a closed fist on the right side of her face" and that her face was red and swollen, and that she also had a scrape and swelling on her left hand.
This isn't the first time Hickerson has been arrested for an incident involving Panettiere. In May, he was booked on suspicion of felony domestic violence and later charged with one felony count of domestic violence, and he pleaded not guilty. TMZ reported at the time that he and Panettiere were out drinking together before they had an argument that allegedly turned physical. A source told the outlet that the cops were called to a residence and "noticed redness and marks on Hayden's body."
In May, a judge also issued a protective order that was requested by prosecutors, which stated that Hickerson had to stay 100 yards away from Panettiere. However, in September, Hickerson's domestic violence case was dismissed after a Los Angeles judge ruled to dismiss the charges as well as the protective order against him. ET learned at the time that the judge’s decision came after prosecutors told the judge that their office wanted the case dismissed.
Panettiere was first linked to Hickerson in August 2018 after she split from her ex-fiance, boxer Wladimir Klitschko, with whom she shares her 5-year-old daughter, Kaya. Following Hickerson's first arrest, a source told ET in September that those closest to the actress "never wanted [Hickerson] around her." The source claimed that the former Nashville star's inner circle "never wished badly on [Hickerson]" but they "just hope he gets the help he needs so that he can come around to being a better person."
But by November, Panettiere and Hickerson were photographed together again, and according to multiple reports, had rekindled their relationship.
Meanwhile, Panettiere returned to social media in December after a 10-month break and debuted a bold new look. Watch the video below for more:
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