‘My story will empower others’: Panettiere previously spoke out about domestic abusepublished at 11:38 BST
11:38 BST
Yasmin Rufo
Culture reporter
Panettiere began dating actor Brian Hickerson in 2018.
Their relationship later became the subject of a domestic
violence case, with Hickerson pleading no contest to two felony counts of
injuring Panettiere and being sentenced to 45 days in jail.
In 2020, Panettiere publicly addressed the allegations,
saying she wanted to speak out “with the hope that my story will empower
others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve”.
She added: “I am prepared to do my part to make sure
this man never hurts anyone again.”
Alan Jackson, her attorney, said in a statement at the time:
“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.”
She later described the relationship in her memoir, published earlier this year, explaining how the abuse contributed to her struggles with alcohol. She wrote
that drinking allowed her to escape from painful realities, including
“Brian’s abuse, Kaya’s absence, and a career I’d chosen to hide
from”.
She entered an eight-month treatment programme in 2020 and
later said that getting sober allowed her to regain clarity and rebuild her
life.