Hayden Panettiere’s boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, has been charged with one felony count of domestic violence.
Hayden Panettiere’s boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, has been charged with one felony count of domestic violence stemming from his arrest earlier this month, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office tells ET.
If convicted, Hickerson faces up to four years in prison.
ET confirms that Hickerson appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom on Thursday, where he pleaded not guilty to the charge of one count of felony domestic violence. The judge also issued a protective order that was requested by prosecutors, which states that Hickerson must stay 100 yards away from Panettiere. He is also banned from reaching out to the actress via telephone calls or email, and cannot be in possession of a firearm.
ET has reached out to Hickerson for comment.
Hickerson, an aspiring actor, was arrested on May 2 in Hollywood. He was booked on suspicion of felony domestic violence, before being released on a $50,000 bond. TMZ reported at the time that Hickerson and Panettiere were out drinking together before they had an argument that allegedly turned physical. A source told the outlet that the cops were called to a residence and "noticed redness and marks on Hayden's body." After being questioned, police determined that Hickerson allegedly started the fight, per TMZ.
The couple was first linked last August after Panettiere's split from her ex-fiance, boxer Wladimir Klitschko. The 29-year-old Nashville star and 43-year-old Klitschko share a daughter together, 4-year-old Kaya.
In 2017, Panettiere gushed that holding her daughter was the "best feeling in the whole wide world." Watch the video below for more:
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