Brian Hickerson allegedly continued pursuing another woman months before Hayden Panettiere died at the South Carolina Airbnb where she had been staying with him. According to messages reviewed by Page Six, the conversations began less than a month after Hickerson and Panettiere were last seen together publicly, raising further questions about the state of their complicated relationship before her death.
The 26-year-old Greenville woman said she met Hickerson at a nightclub on March 28 but was extremely intoxicated and had little memory of the interaction. She claimed Hickerson reached out to her on Instagram the following day.
“Great meeting you last night, pretty lady,” he allegedly wrote. “I owe you a date.”
He reportedly invited her out for drinks, and after she responded several days later, he suggested having dinner at Halls Chophouse.
According to the messages, Hickerson told the woman he had recently returned to Greenville from Los Angeles and said meeting “a pretty girl” in his hometown was an unexpected positive.
When she asked how old he was, he replied, “I’m 36, but I read on a 25-year-old level. Is that a deal breaker?” He later described her as “adorable” while continuing to ask questions about her life.
The woman initially considered going to dinner with him but eventually stopped replying. She told Page Six that the age gap, combined with the fact that she could not remember meeting Hickerson clearly, made her uncomfortable.
Hickerson allegedly continued reaching out through text messages on April 2, April 4, and April 14 after moving their conversation away from Instagram. His final message reportedly read, “Hey hey, I’m back in town this week. When am I taking you to Hall’s?”
She never responded, and the two did not meet again.
The woman said she was unaware of Hickerson’s connection to Hayden Panettiere and claimed he never brought up the Heroes actress. She said she only came across the messages again after Panettiere was found unresponsive on August 16.
“The possibility that I had unknowingly become connected to a high-profile relationship, especially in these unfortunate circumstances, was beyond my comprehension,” she said.
Hickerson’s attorney declined to comment, while Panettiere’s representative did not respond to Page Six.
It remains unclear whether Hickerson’s interactions with the woman overlapped with a romantic relationship involving Panettiere. The two began dating in 2018, and Hickerson later pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or cohabitant. Panettiere was granted a five-year protective order against him, which expired in April.
The pair were last photographed together at Los Angeles International Airport on March 2. His brother also referred to Panettiere as Brian’s “girlfriend” when speaking with officers who responded to the Airbnb where she died.
Hickerson and his brother were present when emergency responders arrived, but neither has been accused of having any involvement in Panettiere’s death. An autopsy found no contributing trauma, and authorities initially stated there were no indications of foul play or suspicious circumstances.
The investigation remains ongoing as officials await toxicology results.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233), text START to 88788, or visit thehotline.org.
