Hayden Panettiereis “okay” after she and her on-off boyfriendBrian Hickersonwere involved in aphysical fightoutside of a Los Angeles bar.
In an exclusive statement to PEOPLE, a rep for Panettiere detailed what occurred during the incident. “While in the restaurant of the Sunset Marquis, Brian Hickerson, who happened to be with Hayden, made a comment to an individual about leaving the waitress a poor tip.”
“Hayden was refused the opportunity to provide a statement to the police as she was escorted back inside,” the statement concluded. “She is okay.”
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Hayden Panettiere, Brian Hickerson.Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage; Brian Hickerson/Instagram
In the clip of the incident, both Panettiere and Hickerson are seen involved in the physical altercation, which escalated from an argument outside of the bar.
At one point during the fight, Panettiere gets kicked and appears to yell, “Brian, jail!” — possibly a warning to prevent Hickerson from fighting given that he is on probation.
The brawl appeared to last several minutes, and both Panettiere and Hickerson had to be pulled out of the altercation as the scene broke up.
A representative for Hickerson, as well as the Sunset Marquis and the Los Angeles Police Department, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Todd Williamson/Getty
In July 2021, PEOPLE confirmed that Panettiere was spending time with Hickerson after he served time in jail for a domestic violence case involving the star. (The pair were first linked in 2018 after reports circulated that she and then-fiancéWladimir Klitschkohadsplit. The actress and Klitschko, 46, share 7-year-old daughter Kaya.)
Hickerson was sentenced in April to45 days in jailafter pleading no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse/cohabitant/girlfriend/child’s parent, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office confirmed to PEOPLE at the time. He served his sentence from May 7 through May 20, jail records show.
In addition to jail time, Hickerson was sentenced to four years of formal probation, 52 domestic violence classes, $500 in restitution and a five-year protective order for injuring Panettiere.
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Regarding the protective order, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office previously told PEOPLE it “does not prohibit the defendant and the victim from amicably interacting with each other.”
A source told PEOPLE at the time that Hickerson is “in intensive therapy treatment.” The insider added: “Hayden won’t forget what he did but she wants to forgive and move on. Hayden is sober and doing very well.”
RELATED VIDEO: Hayden Panettiere ‘Ready to Change Her Life’ After Speaking Out About Domestic Abuse: Source
He pleaded not guilty toone count of felony domestic violencelater that month; the case was dismissed in September 2019. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said at the time, “Our office was unable to proceed because we could not secure a material witness.”
“I am coming forward with the truth about what happened to me with the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve,” she said. “I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again. I’m grateful for my support system, which helped me find the courage to regain my voice and my life.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
