Greenville police responded to a bar fight involving Brian Hickerson, the boyfriend of late actress Hayden Panettiere, on Sept. 12 — about a month after Panettiere was found dead in a Greenville apartment.
Officers were called to the Wild Wing Café at roughly 9:10 p.m. after a report of an assault inside the restaurant, according to a statement from the Greenville Police Department. “Upon arrival, officers located several individuals involved in an altercation and detained multiple patrons while the incident was investigated,” police said.
Two of those involved were identified as Brian Hickerson and his brother, Zachary Hickerson. Police said Zachary was “highly intoxicated” and began yelling profanities in public. He was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge and taken to the Greenville County Detention Center.
Brian Hickerson was released from the scene without being charged, according to police.
Video circulating online shows Hickerson handcuffed and bloodied outside the restaurant, telling his brother, “GPD leaked it when my girlfriend died,” an apparent reference to Panettiere’s death and the Greenville Police Department. Another video shows Hickerson throwing a bar stool before being carried out of the establishment.
The confrontation comes less than a month after Panettiere, 36, was found dead inside a Greenville residence on Aug. 16. Hickerson and his brother called 911 after finding her unresponsive, according to a police report. Hickerson later handed authorities a bag of medication Panettiere had reportedly been taking.
The report noted Zachary appeared “very emotional” while paramedics tried to revive Panettiere, while Brian did not show emotion until she was declared dead.
Hickerson had reportedly traveled with Panettiere from Los Angeles the day before she was found unresponsive at the Greenville apartment complex. The two, who had an on-again, off-again relationship since 2022, were confirmed by Zachary to still be together at the time of her death.
The Greenville County Coroner’s Office has said preliminary autopsy results found no signs of trauma contributing to Panettiere’s death, though the investigation remains open. The Drug Enforcement Administration has also been brought in to assist.
Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel, spoke publicly about her daughter’s final months shortly after her death. The following day, Panettiere’s representatives pushed back on public speculation, saying in a statement: “Many people who were not close to Hayden are using her death as an opportunity to fuel gossip and speculation about a situation they knew very little about. It is deeply disrespectful to her memory and to those who knew and loved her and are actively grieving this tremendous loss.”
The statement urged anyone with legitimate information to contact law enforcement rather than speculate on social media, adding: “There is much more to this story than what is currently being discussed publicly, and those closest to Hayden are actively cooperating with the ongoing investigation to help ensure that the truth comes to light and that justice is properly served.”
