Years Before Her Relationship With Brian Hickerson, Hayden Panettiere Defended Her Dad After His Domestic Violence Arrest Against Her Mom
- Hayden Panettiere defended her father after his alleged domestic violence arrest.
- The actress admits that her relationship with her parents is now good.
- Panettiere experienced domestic abuse at the hands of her boyfriend only to reconcile with him years later.
Actress-singer Hayden Panettiere is popularly known for the portrayal of Claire Bennet on Heroes from 2006 to 2010. She also appeared in the Scream franchise as Kirby Reed from 2011 to 2023 and was highly appreciated for her performance. The actress has also been a part of the ABC/CMT musical drama series Nashville, which eventually led to her being nominated for two Golden Globe Awards. Panettiere has also participated in projects including One Life to Live, Remember the Titans, Raising Helen, Tiger Cruise, and more.
Where Hayden Panettiere has a successful career on screen, the actress’ personal life has been filled with a lot of ups and downs. From being caught up in the middle of her parents’ divorce to her challenges with substance abuse and it eventually affecting her relationship with her daughter. The actress has also been a victim of domestic violence who now hopes that her story can help others.
Hayden Panettiere says her father’s arrest was ‘blown out of proportion’
In 2008, actress-singer Hayden Panettiere had a tough time after her father, Alan Panettiere, was charged with alleged misdemeanor battery against her mother Lesley Vogel after he allegedly hit her in the face. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and later called the incident a big misunderstanding. He was, however, sentenced to 24 months of probation.
AOL reported that Vogel filed for divorce in 2012, citing irreconcilable differences. The court documents had stated that Alan was ordered to pay Lesley $5000 per month in spousal support for five years unless she decided to remarry. In an interview with Seventeen in 2009, the actress opened up about the situation, stating (via Nicki Swift),
I don’t know that I dealt with it in any specific way. I mean, it’s hard enough going through it personally within your family, let alone when the entire world knows about it. It put my dada in this light that is so not him. You know your mind goes to ‘He abuses, he beats his wife’. For my dad to have that reputation now, which is so not who he is—kills me.
The young actress, who is very protective of her parents, was caught in the middle during their messy divorce. Her mother claimed in court documents that the actress-singer had given her a place to live and her father $100,000. This came after she alleged that Alan had only paid her the said amount for four months in three years. Their divorce was finalized in 2016.
The actress remained close with her father, revealing in 2020 via social media that he got remarried to her amazing stepmother in a church she went to when she was young. She served as a bridesmaid in her father’s second marriage. The actress not only stood up for her father and mentioned at the time that it was hard for her to navigate through a situation but also remained close with him. She explained that the entire situation was blown out of proportion.
In an interview with NY Times in 2023, she mentioned that her relationship with her parents now is good. She added that her brother’s unfortunate demise in 2023 has helped the family to come closer and grieve together.
Hayden Panettiere experienced abuse at the hands of her then-boyfriend Brian Hickerson
After defending her father back in 2009, the actress 2019 unfortunately became the victim of domestic violence at the hands of her then-boyfriend Brian Hickerson. The aspiring actor was charged with one count of felony in domestic violence and pleaded not guilty. However, Radar Online at the time reported that the judge had denied the motion to dismiss criminal charges against Hickerson and declined to consider a less misdemeanor charge.
The judge at the time detailed the abuse against the actress at the hands of Hickerson by mentioning:
I understand he has no record, but the problem I have, counsel, is that this was not the first attack. Just very recently, before this in Puerto Rico, something happened… and those are the marks on the victim. This happened twice this time. It wasn’t enough for him to cause her nose to bleed by hitting her with an open palm. He followed her into the bedroom and was the aggressor again, causing severe swelling and bruising on the cheek and marks on her neck.
People reported in July 2020 that Hickerson was charged with dissuading a witness from prosecuting a crime, which is a felony. Panettiere shared with the publication at the time that she was speaking up about what had happened to her, hoping that her story would empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need.
The former couple worked on their friendship after Hickerson was released from jail in July 2021, and in March 2022, an insider shared that the actress believed that Hickerson had changed for the better. During her interview with the NY Times, she reportedly called him ‘babe’ a handful of times and admitted that there are feelings, but it’s not clear if they are back together.
