Brian Hickerson allegedly sent a threatening text about going “to war” to Hayden Panettiere following a February 2020 domestic battery arrest.
According to documents obtained by TMZ, during Hickerson’s 2020 criminal case, he allegedly sent the “Heroes” actress a string of ominous texts following his February 14 Wyoming arrest for allegedly delivering a closed-fist blow to her while staying at an Airbnb.
At the time, officers had noted that Hickerson — who allegedly appeared to be intoxicated — had been locked out of the building.
Per the outlet, a probable cause affidavit from the incident — which contained screenshots of missed calls and texts directed toward Panettiere — stated that despite a court order prohibiting him from contacting her, Hickerson had sent her an alleged text reading, “Time to go to war I guess.”
In another alleged text communication, Hickerson wrote, “After Wyoming and LA disappears so do the videos.”
According to TMZ, another text read, “Even if i sit in a jail cell for ten years. All of the stuff that is vaulted overseas with my people will come out the second I step foot into prison. And all that does is hurt your name while simultaneously clearing my name. And at that point who actually cares?”
Hickerson also allegedly wrote to the former child star, “Say something Hayd, so I don’t get defensive and start firing off emails to people to get ready.”
“I thought his legal stuff would magically disappear… we gotta figure something out, buddy,” he allegedly wrote, per the outlet.
Authorities asserted that the texts showed proof Hickerson was attempting to intimidate the “Nashville” actress into dropping the case against him, including one that read, “It is very simple, it is a very simple fix, between me and you, you gotta make one phone call.”
“I don’t want to go to court, for you,” he additionally wrote, per the outlet. “I will be f–king fine in court, trust me, it’s for you.”
Though Hickerson was sentenced to a year behind bars, the sentence was ultimately suspended, and Hickerson instead got a year of probation.
Page Six has reached out to reps for Hickerson and Panettiere.
Three days before Panettiere died, a judge denied Hickerson’s request to expunge and downgrade his past felony charges to misdemeanors.
Hickerson — who pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend after he was arrested in Los Angeles in July 2020 and handed an eight-count criminal indictment in April 2021 — faced charges stemming from a string of alleged incidents May 2019 and January 2020 involving the “Scream” star.
Per documents obtained by Page Six, the court denied the motion in a hearing on August 13 — despite Hickerson pointing out he had met the conditions of his probation.
The request was a repeat, as we were told he made the same request in July 2025, and was again denied.
In 2021, Hickerson was sentenced to 45 days in county jail, as well as four years of formal probation, 52 mandatory domestic violence classes and a five-year restraining order.
Though he had credit for 12 days previously served, Hickerson spent 33 days in LA Men’s Central Jail.
Hickerson’s first arrest in Los Angeles in May 2019, about a year after he began dating the Golden Globe nominee, was dismissed in September 2019.
The duo began their volatile, on-off relationship back in 2018. They’d recently reconnectedwhen the “Remember the Titans” actress was reportedly found unresponsive by Brian’s brother, Zach Hickerson, in a Greenville, South Carolina luxury apartment building, on Sunday.
According to TMZ, sources close to the matter said Brian had been sleeping in another room when Zach entered the residence to find Panettiere unresponsive in a chair in the living room.
Page Six previously reported on Tuesday that the brothers were with Panettiere at the time of her death. She was 36.
Though first responders arrived quickly at the home and attempted life-saving measures, Panettiere was pronounced dead at the scene following what audio from a 911 call referred to as an apparent “overdose.”
According to TMZ, Narcan — a medication known for reversing opioid overdose symptoms — was found at the scene.
In a statement to NBC News on Tuesday, Panettiere’s estranged mother, Lelsey Vogel, lashed out at Brian.
“This person in her life that we have been trying to get rid of for quite some time was with her at her death. And that was Brian Hickerson,” she said, noting that Panettiere was an “amazingly talented” performer.
“And I think young people who grow up in the entertainment industry — it is a struggle, and it’s a very challenging industry, and it’s not unusual for them to sadly find the wrong path,” she added.
Though the actress had spoken out about the tumultuous dynamic with Brian in her recently released memoir, This is Me: A Reckoning, Page Six learned that Panettiere kept some friends “in the dark” about reuniting with him before her shocking death.
“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,” an insider exclusively told us.
“If you’ve gone through some dark times with people, and spoken about it, then there can be shame if you get back together with that same person. So maybe that was why she hadn’t mentioned it to us.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
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