EXCLUSIVE: Hayden Panettiere Was 'Willing to Make Big Changes' to Turn Her Life Around After Brian Hickerson's 2020 Arrest
Hayden Panettiere passed away at 36 in August 2026.
Aug. 17 2026, Published 7:25 p.m. ET
Hayden Panettiere was reportedly ready to make major changes in her life months after getting a serious wake-up call when her on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson was arrested again in 2020, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
In 2019, Hickerson was charged with felony domestic violence after authorities reportedly saw red marks on Panettiere's body, but the case was dropped that September. The aspiring actor was back in cuffs on Valentine's Day in 2020, after he allegedly hit Panettiere with his fist during an argument.
'Her Relationship Had Turned Her Life Upside Down'
Hayden Panettiere and Brian Hickerson began dating in 2018.
Several months later, the couple called it quits on their roughly two-year relationship, and the Heroes actress was finally ready to turn her life around, according to a friend.
"Dating Brian was toxic for Hayden on many levels," the source said around the time of their split. "She began to see how her relationship had turned her life upside down."
Hayden Panettiere Wanted to Make 'Big Changes'
Hayden Panettiere's friends were 'hopeful' after her breakup from Brian Hickerson in 2020.
After years of ups and downs due to volatile relationships and substance abuse, Panettiere was finally "willing to make big changes to be a healthier, happier person," the source noted.
At the time, those close to her were said to be "hopeful" that she would "make herself a priority again."
The Remember the Titans star also allegedly wanted to "work on" her relationship with her ex-fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko, who is the father of their daughter, Kaya.
"Hayden’s had visitation, but Wlad is extremely cautious and won’t allow Kaya to be alone with her," the source said.
Hayden Panettiere Spoke Out on Giving Up Custody of Her Child
Hayden Panettiere had a daughter with her ex-fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko.
As Radar previously reported, back in 2018, Panettiere decided to give up full custody of her daughter amid struggles with postpartum depression and addiction battles.
Years later, she called the decision "gut-wrenching" in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.
"I remember every second of that day. Every f---ing second,” she wrote of the heartbreaking experience. "No mother could forget a single thing about the day she signed her child away."
Hayden Panettiere Had On-and-Off Relationship With Brian Hickerson
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Hayden Panettiere traveled to South Carolina with Brian Hickerson shortly before her death.
Despite her friends' hopes, Panettiere reportedly maintained an on-off relationship with Hickerson for several years.
"Getting an abusive person out of your life is like trying to rip a weed out that is so entangled into your life,” she told Us Weekly in an interview published in May as she reflected on her past. "Every time you pull it out, another weed pops back up and you’re like, ‘I thought I killed this.’ They always manage to find a way to slither back into your life, even if you’re an incredibly strong-willed person."
On Saturday, August 15, Panettiere and Hickerson reportedly traveled together from Los Angeles to Greenville, South Carolina.
She was found unresponsive in an apartment on Sunday, August 16, and was later pronounced dead. Her cause of death is pending but medical examiners claimed "no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death."
