Hayden Panettiere’s Ex Brian Hickerson Seen Spitting At Police In Disturbing Arrest Video

A shocking video of Hayden Panettiere's former boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, has surfaced following the actress's tragic death-and it shows just how chaotic his life had become.

Footage reportedly recorded during an August 2025 incident shows a barefoot Hickerson hiding beneath a table at Barney's Beanery in West Hollywood as several police officers attempt to remove him from the bar. After officers pull him out and place him in handcuffs, the former actor appears to spit in the direction of one of them before stumbling away.

According to reports, Hickerson appeared to be under the influence and had allegedly broken a glass and thrown one of his shoes at another customer. Bar employees reportedly struggled to persuade him to leave before calling the police.

Despite the dramatic confrontation, prosecutors did not bring charges because of insufficient evidence, and the bar's owner said Hickerson was not banned from the establishment. Later that same week, however, he was arrested for allegedly being under the influence of a controlled substance. That case was eventually dismissed after he entered a diversion program and completed ten Narcotics Anonymous meetings.

The resurfaced video has attracted particular attention because of Hickerson's troubled history with Panettiere. The pair had a turbulent, on-again, off-again relationship, and Hickerson was arrested several times over alleged domestic violence incidents while they were together. In 2021, he pleaded no contest to two felony charges of injuring a spouse or girlfriend, received a 45-day jail sentence and was placed on probation for four years. He was also ordered to attend 52 domestic violence classes, while Panettiere obtained a five-year restraining order.

Hickerson and his brother, Zach, were reportedly present at the South Carolina home where Panettiere was found dead on August 16 at the age of 36. Hickerson reportedly handed responding officers a bag containing medication that the Nashville and Heroes actress had been taking.

Panettiere's death remains under investigation. Hickerson's attorney has stressed that police found no signs of foul play and asked the public to allow investigators to complete their work. No allegation has been made that Hickerson was responsible for her death.

However, Panettiere's estranged mother, Lesley Vogel, has publicly questioned Hickerson's account of what happened on the day her daughter died. Her comments, combined with the newly released arrest footage and Hickerson's disturbing legal history, have only intensified scrutiny surrounding the actress's final months.

For Panettiere's grieving family and fans, the images are another painful reminder of the turmoil that surrounded the beloved actress away from the cameras. What once looked like another messy Hollywood romance now appears far darker-and the unanswered questions surrounding her death are not going away quietly.