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Brian Hickerson served time at an LA County jail earlier this summer stemming from multiple domestic violence and assault allegations against him during his relationship with Hayden Panettiere.
And Hayden and ex Brian were seen spending time with friends on Saturday, according to eyewitnesses who spoke to E! News.
Brian also spoke to the outlet directly after the outing, revealing that they ‘are not back together but are working on a friendship.’
The latest: Brian Hickerson served time at an LA County jail earlier this summer stemming from multiple domestic violence and assault allegations against him during his relationship with Hayden Panettiere. And Hayden and ex Brian were seen spending time with friends on Saturday, according to eyewitnesses who spoke to E! News; pictured together December 1, 2018
Brian said to E!: ‘We have a long history together, and the first step in my recovery as an abuser is making amends.’
The eyewitness told E! that Hayden, Brian and their friends were line dancing as a group, with some enjoying beers.
An insider told Dailymail.com they were seen at Justin Queso’s, a restaurant on the Sunset Strip in LA, on Sunday.
They were seen again on Tuesday at the same venue, this time just the two of them, watching the NBA finals while sitting at the bar and relaxed, per the Dailymail.com source.
Legal drama: Brian also spoke to the outlet directly after the outing, revealing that they ‘are not back together but are working on a friendship’
Brian said to E!: ‘To clarify, I was enjoying a Miller “Latte” [slang for a Miller Lite beer], and Hayden was not drinking.’
‘We went to a new restaurant that is Texas-based, and being a Southern guy, I’m a big fan of country music. So yes, there was some line dancing involved,’ he said.
A source close to Hayden revealed that the actress is keeping her focus on her six-year-old daughter Kaya, whom she shares with ex fiance Wladimir Klitschko, as well as her sobriety and healing from her relationship with Brian, per E!.
The insider said: ‘Hayden is open to forgiving Brian and starting a new chapter, despite her loved ones concerns. Hayden has a huge heart and wants to see the best in everyone.’
Brian was seen turning himself into police on May 7, 2021 to start his 45 days sentence.
It is unknown when he was released from custody from jail but it was expected to be on May 19 – with him in custody for 12 days instead of the full 45, after he copped a plea deal.
Hickerson – who began dating Panettiere in the summer of 2018 – pleaded not guilty last July to four counts of injuring a spouse, cohabitant, fiancé, boyfriend, girlfriend or child’s parent; one misdemeanor count of battery; two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon; and one felony count of dissuading a witness from prosecuting a crime, all stemming from alleged incidents that occurred between 2018 to 2020.
He would eventually plead no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend this past April, according to a spokesperson for the LA District Attorney’s Office, as reported by USA Today.
Brian was sentenced to 45 days in county jail and four years probation.
He was required to pay a $500 restitution fee, attend 52 domestic violence classes and received a five year restraining order as well, per E!.
Throwback: Brian was seen turning himself into police on May 7, 2021 to start his 45 days sentence; seen together on January 31, 2019
The Nashville star ended her romance with Brian after he was arrested in Wyoming for domestic battery in February 2020 when he allegedly hit Hayden across the face.
On Valentine’s Day 2020, Brian was arrested for allegedly punching Hayden ‘with a closed fist on the right side of her face’ during an argument, while the pair were in Wyoming.
The paperwork filed at the time explained when police arrived on the scene, they found Brian on the driveway and he told them the Nashville star was inside and claiming ‘he beat the f**k out of me’.
When asked if he had physically assaulted his girlfriend, Brian was said to have avoided answering.
Brian was also arrested on domestic violence charges in May 2019 after he and Hayden allegedly got into a physical altercation at their home following a night of drinking, and was later ordered to stay 100 yards away from her.
Brian’s second domestic violence related arrest took place in 2019 for reportedly ‘getting into a physical fight with Hayden.’
He was charged with felony domestic violence, but, due to Hayden reportedly ‘refusing to cooperate with the prosecution,’ the charges were, eventually, dropped.
They were seen together again in November 2019, six months after the arrest.
Last year, Panettiere was granted a restraining order against Hickerson, whom she split from in June 2020 after nearly two years of dating.
Panettiere was initially granted the restraining order in Wyoming, but a judge has now allowed the order to be upheld in California, according to TMZ.
It is unknown if it is still in effect.
The explicit reason for Hayden’s protective order against Brian is unknown at this time.
In July 2020, Hayden’s lawyer, Alan Jackson, called the actress a ‘survivor’ who is now ‘taking back her life’ after years of suffering.
‘After suffering for years as the victim of psychological, emotional and severe physical abuse, Hayden Panettiere has begun the process of taking back her life,’ he told TMZ. ‘Hayden has found the strength and courage to share the truth about her abuse and her abuser, and she intends to assist the prosecution to see that justice is served. As a survivor, she recognizes that her arduous journey of healing has just begun.’
Following Hickerson’s not guilty plea last July, the Heroes actress took to social media to address the assault and abuse allegations, and to urge other people in similar situations to reach out and get support.
Brave: The Heroes actress took to Instagram in July 2020 to address the abuse allegations and to urge other people in similar situations to get the help and support they need
‘I am coming forward with the truth about what happened to me with the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve,’ she wrote at the time.
‘I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again. I’m grateful for my support system, which helped me find the courage to regain my voice and my life.’
Panettiere and Klitschko, who have remained on good terms since separating, share a daughter, Kaya, six, who lives with the retired boxer in Ukraine.
Speaking out: The Nashville star shared that she was ‘prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again’ in her Instagram post last summer
Focused on their daughter: Panettiere and former heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko, who share six-year-old daughter Kaya, have remained on good terms since separating in 2018; the former couple are pictured in July 2013
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