Brian Hickerson Still Dreams of Marrying Hayden Panettiere

Some relationships leave marks that don’t quite fade, even when they’ve officially ended. Brian Hickerson, 37, is still holding onto hope for a reconciliation with Hayden Panettiere, 36, despite acknowledging that the chances are slim and the past too complicated to ignore.

In a candid chat with TMZ on Wednesday, May 13, Hickerson revealed that marriage to the Nashville alum remains on his mind. He’s realistic about it though—admitting“she probably doesn’t think the same way”and confessing that they“probably wouldn’t be good together”if they tried again. Yet he spoke glowingly of Panettiere, calling her“one of the most talented people I’ve ever met in my life,”and seemed torn between his lingering feelings and the recognition that stepping back from her life is the right call for her career and wellbeing.

The two first connected romantically in 2018, but things took a dark turn quickly. In 2019, Hickerson was arrested following an alleged domestic violence incident with Panettiere and charged with felony domestic violence. The charges were later dropped, but history repeated itself in 2020 when another domestic violence altercation led to his arrest again. He served 33 days in prison, was placed on four years of probation, and ordered to pay a $500 fine. The relationship ended after that second incident, yet Hickerson insists they’ve maintained friendly terms—a“mutual respect thing,”as he put it, where she’ll“always hold a special place”in his heart.

Panettiere is preparing to revisit this turbulent chapter in her forthcoming memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, set to release Tuesday, May 19. In interviews, she’s spoken candidly about how difficult it was to confront the reality of what happened, describing the experience as humiliating and embarrassing. Hickerson, for his part, has endorsed the book’s honesty, acknowledging he was“in such a dark place”at the time and encouraging others to read it—domestic violence material and all. He even knows exactly where in the book readers will find that reckoning: page 272.

What makes this dynamic complicated is that both parties seem to genuinely care for each other while simultaneously recognizing the relationship was damaging. Hickerson’s hope for marriage sits alongside his admission that it wouldn’t be healthy, a contradiction that speaks to how messy real relationships actually are. As Panettiere prepares to publicly process her side of the story, Hickerson remains on the sidelines, supportive but grounded in reality—a man who loves someone enough to let her move forward without him.