Key Takeaways
- Brian Hickerson repeatedly asked a 26-year-old Greenville woman on a date in March and April, but she stopped responding because their age gap and her limited memory of meeting him made her uncomfortable.
- Hickerson never mentioned Hayden Panettiere, and it remains unclear whether his pursuit overlapped with their turbulent relationship; they were last photographed together on March 2.
- Hickerson and his brother were present when Panettiere was found unresponsive on August 16, but authorities reported no initial signs of foul play and await toxicology results in the active investigation.
Brian Hickerson repeatedly pursued 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 exchanges began less than four weeks after Hickerson and Panettiere were last photographed together, adding another unanswered question about the status of their turbulent relationship before her death.
The now-26-year-old Greenville woman said she met Hickerson at a nightclub on March 28 but was heavily intoxicated and remembered little about the encounter. The next day, Hickerson allegedly contacted her on Instagram. “Great meeting you last night, pretty lady,” he wrote. “I owe you a date.”
He invited her to meet him for a drink, then, after she replied several days later, proposed dinner at Halls Chophouse.
According to the messages, Hickerson told the woman he had recently moved back to Greenville from Los Angeles and said meeting “a pretty girl” in his hometown had been a welcome surprise.
When she asked his age, he answered, “I’m 36, but I read on a 25-year-old level. Is that a deal breaker?” He later called her “adorable” and continued asking about her background.
The woman initially entertained the proposed dinner but ultimately stopped responding, telling Page Six that the age difference and her inability to remember meeting Hickerson made her uncomfortable.
Hickerson allegedly moved the conversation to text and contacted her on April 2, April 4, and April 14. “Hey hey, I’m back in town this week,” his final message read. “When am I taking you to Hall’s?”
She never answered, and the two never met again.
The woman said she had no idea Hickerson was connected to Hayden Panettiere and claimed he never mentioned the Heroes star. She rediscovered the messages only after Panettiere was found unresponsive on August 16.
Hickerson’s attorney declined to comment. Panettiere’s representative did not respond to Page Six.
Whether Hickerson’s pursuit overlapped with a romantic relationship with Panettiere remains unclear. The two began dating in 2018, and Hickerson later pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or cohabitant. Panettiere received a five-year protective order, which expired in April.
She and Hickerson were last photographed at Los Angeles International Airport on March 2, while his brother identified Panettiere as Brian’s “girlfriend” to officers responding to the Airbnb where she died.
Hickerson and his brother were present when first responders arrived, but neither has been accused of involvement in Panettiere’s death. An autopsy found no contributing trauma, and authorities initially reported no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.
The investigation remains active while toxicology results are pending.
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.
