Brian Hickerson, the ex-boyfriend of late actress Hayden Panettiere, was handcuffed by Greenville, South Carolina police following an altercation at Wild Wing Cafe on Saturday, shouting at officers about her death while restrained on the ground.
A Greenville Police Department spokesperson told Page Six that officers responded to a report of an alleged assault at the bar at around 9:10 p.m. Police located Hickerson, his brother Zach, and other patrons involved in the altercation.
Officers said Zach Hickerson was “highly intoxicated” and began yelling profanities. He was taken into custody for disorderly conduct and transported to the Greenville County Detention Center. Brian Hickerson was released from the scene and was not charged.
Video posted on X shows Brian Hickerson handcuffed and seated on the ground, yelling, “GPD leaked it when my girlfriend died.”
According to TMZ, which first reported the incident, the brothers had been drinking for hours before Brian approached the bar to talk with other patrons and got into an argument. Video obtained by TMZ shows him flinging a chair backward as bystanders shouted for him to stop, and later shows another man forcibly pulling him away while someone yelled, “let him go.”
Page Six reached out to Hickerson’s lawyer for comment but had not received a response.
Both brothers were present at the Greenville Airbnb where Panettiere died. Zach Hickerson told TMZ last month that Brian administered Narcan to Panettiere after she was found unconscious following a nap, while he called emergency services. Zach said the two performed CPR on her before she was pronounced dead on Aug. 16.
Hickerson’s attorney, Sloan Ellis, issued a statement last month that was his only public comment on Panettiere’s death.
“Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed. As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play. Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.”
TMZ reported last week that Hickerson met with the Drug Enforcement Administration as part of its investigation into Panettiere’s death. Local and federal investigators reportedly believe someone sold her drugs that may have contributed to her death and are working to identify that person.
Hickerson has a history of legal trouble. He was arrested multiple times for domestic violence against Panettiere, and in August 2025 was arrested at a Barney’s Beanery in West Hollywood, California, where video obtained by TMZ showed him spitting at police officers while barefoot beneath a table.
