Hayden Panettiere‘s boyfriend could go to jail.
According to TMZ on Thursday, Brian Hickerson was charged with one count of felony domestic violence regarding an alleged incident this month involving him and the Nashville actress. If convicted, the aspiring actor faces up to four years in prison.
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A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said:
“Mr. Hickerson has been charged with one felony count of injuring a spouse, cohabitant, girlfriend, etc.”
On Thursday morning, Hickerson appeared in court and pled not guilty. His bail was set at $50K.
The judge also issued a protective order where Brian must stay at least 100 yards away from Panettiere. He is also prohibited from contacting the thespian.
According to Radar Online, the District Attorney claimed during the arraignment that there were other unreported incidents of domestic violence in their relationship.
Hickerson is scheduled to return to court on June 26 for a preliminary hearing setting.
Earlier this month, Panettiere and Hickerson allegedly went drinking in Hollywood before returning to their residence.
At home, the two allegedly got into a fight that turned physical. After cops were called by an unknown party, authorities arrived at 2 a.m. and noticed redness and marks on the actress’ body.
After analyzing the situation, they came to the conclusion that Hickerson allegedly started the fight, and arrested him.
Of course, this isn’t the first time he has gotten in trouble with the law.
As we reported last year, in October 2018, Brian and his father, David, were in the middle of some sort of alleged domestic incident when cops showed up to their Greenville, South Carolina house on a call for assault and battery.
Allegedly, when the Heroes alum answered the door, she was “in an apparent drunk and frantic state” during the incident.
Officers quickly chased down and cuffed Brian, but he was reportedly uncooperative, apparently out of fear that the incident could have a negative impact on his girlfriend.
Though David reportedly had visible injuries on his face — including severe bruising and bleeding — he claimed to cops that he fell.
Eventually, Hayden allegedly confessed to the police that she and David had been drinking prior.
As we reported over the weekend, a People source said Panettiere’s “friends and family are not happy with the relationship,” explaining:
“She’s been acting more out of control since she’s been with him. Hayden really likes Brian, has a great time with him, and the romance has gone past a dalliance. She was first attracted to him because he was hot and different, and now she is pretty interested in him. She is young, and Brian seems to be a take-charge person in a different way than Wladimir was, which she needs.”
Panettiere and Hickerson were first linked last August, after the starlet split from ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko — the father of her four-year-old daughter Kaya.
[Image via Brian Hickerson/Instagram/Dennis Van Tine/Future Image/WENN.]
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