When opening up about her toxic relationship with her on-and-off boyfriend, the 'Heroes' actress says that 'it was a very dark and complicated time' in her life.
- Jul 7, 2022
AceShowbiz - Hayden Panettiere says being in an abusive relationship was "a very dark and complicated time in my life." In May 2019, the former "Heroes" star was issued a protective order after her on/off boyfriend Brian Hickerson was charged with domestic violence. While the charges were eventually dropped, he pled no contest to two felony counts of injuring a partner in 2021 and spent 13 days in jail.
"It was a very dark and complicated time in my life. But a lot of women go through what I went through, and I want people to know it's OK to ask for help," the 32-year-old actress told PEOPLE. "None of it is OK. But I want to make sure that everybody knows that each person who goes through something like that, they're on their own journey. No two things are exactly alike."
Hayden and Brian have since reconciled as friends. In March, the pair were involved in a public altercation with another group at hotel in Los Angeles after Brian made a comment to someone for leaving a "poor tip" for a server at a restaurant.
"None of it is OK, and I want to make sure that everybody knows that," she explained. "But I am open to people who are willing to get help and make amends. He's gone to treatment and done his time. And I'm trying to live in a place of forgiveness."
"I am trying to live in a place of understanding. I think [Brian] has done his time and was willing to get help. I think about the things I have done in my life that people forgave me for," she further explained. "Making amends is a really important thing that you learn in treatment. And it gives you a lot of inner peace."
