{"id":6863,"date":"2026-08-18T17:11:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T17:11:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=6863"},"modified":"2026-08-18T17:11:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T17:11:08","slug":"brian-hickerson-shared-hopes-to-marry-good-buddy-hayden-panettiere-months-before-her-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=6863","title":{"rendered":"Brian Hickerson shared hopes to marry ‘good buddy’ Hayden Panettiere months before her death"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Brian Hickerson shared his \u201chope\u201d to wed Hayden Panettiere months before the late actress\u2019 death.<\/p>\n

Read more Hayden Panettiere was on \u2018bag of medication\u2019 at time of death \u2014 as cops reveal boyfriend\u2019s strange reaction to her \u2018overdose\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

When asked during a May interview with TMZ whether he sees himself \u201cone day marrying\u201d the \u201cNashville\u201d alum, Hickerson replied, \u201cYeah, of course. I hope so. I hope so.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, he clarified Panettiere \u201cprobably didn\u2019t think the same way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hickerson, who had been linked to the \u201cHeroes\u201d alum on and off since 2018 and was with her when she died Sunday, also said he missed her \u201cevery day\u201d \u2014 but they remained \u201cgood friends\u201d and \u201cgood buddies.\u201d<\/p>\n

He noted, \u201cOur relationship now is a mutual respect thing. She\u2019ll always hold a special place in my heart and I hope the same for her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hickerson dubbed the Golden Globe nominee the \u201csweetest thing in the world,\u201d gushing, \u201cIt\u2019s not about who you spend Saturday night with, it\u2019s who you spend Sunday with and Hayden Panettiere is a Sunday girl.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for getting \u201cback together,\u201d Hickerson denied wanting this and said, \u201cHayden is one of the most talented people I\u2019ve ever met in my life and I\u2019d be an idiot not to walk away from her and let her flourish in her career.\u201d<\/p>\n

He continued, \u201cWe probably wouldn\u2019t be good together. I\u2019d like to see what she could do the next 30 years in her career.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the time, Panettiere was promoting her \u201cThis Is Me: A Reckoning\u201d memoir, which detailed abusive incidents with Hickerson.<\/p>\n

He called the abuse \u201cterrible\u201d in the TMZ sitdown, saying, \u201cNever in my life did I ever get taught what domestic violence was, right? Maybe if I did at an early age, maybe I wouldn\u2019t have done what I did. We don\u2019t know. It\u2019s one of those things you think about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hickerson was charged with two felony counts\u00a0of injuring a spouse or girlfriend in 2020 regarding incidents with Panettiere.<\/p>\n

At the time, Panettiere wrote, \u201cI am coming forward with the truth about what happened to me in the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve. I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Brian Hickerson was on scene of Hayden Panettiere emergency \u2014 but didn\u2019t get emotional until she was pronounced dead<\/a><\/p>\n

He pleaded no-contest in 2021 and was sentenced to 45 days in jail, four years of formal probation, 52 domestic violence classes, $500 in restitution and a five-year protective order.<\/p>\n

By the following year, he and Panettiere had reconnected as friends, with her telling People, \u201cI am open to people who are willing to get help and make amends. He\u2019s gone to treatment and done his time. And I\u2019m trying to live in a place of forgiveness.\u201d<\/p>\n

They were last photographed together at an airport in March.<\/p>\n

On Thursday, Hickerson\u2019s request to have his felony charges expunged and reduced to misdemeanors was denied by a Los Angeles judge.<\/p>\n

Two days later, he and Panettiere flew from California to South Carolina, where the former soap star died of an apparent overdose Sunday.<\/p>\n

Brian and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were present at the time of Panettiere\u2019s passing, Page Six confirmed Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Zach referred to the former child star as his sibling\u2019s girlfriend, according to the police report.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

A source told Page Six Monday that Panettiere kept some of her friends \u201cin the dark\u201d about her reconciliation with Brian, noting, \u201cIf you\u2019ve gone through some dark times with people, and spoken about it, then there can be shame if you get back together with that same person.\u201d<\/p>\n

Panettiere\u2019s cause of death is not yet known at this time. She was 36.<\/p>\n

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

If you or someone you care about is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call SAMHSA\u2019s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Read more NYC career thief busted 150 times is arrested again \u2014 just weeks after being cut loose<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Brian Hickerson opened up about his hopes to one day marry “good buddy” Hayden Panettiere months before the actress death at 36.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6862,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6863","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-news"],"yoast_head":"\nBrian Hickerson shared hopes to marry 'good buddy' Hayden Panettiere months before her death - Metro Transit Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=6863\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Brian Hickerson shared hopes to marry 'good buddy' Hayden Panettiere months before her death - 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