Overview
- In a Tuesday TMZ interview, Brian Hickerson said he read Hayden Panettiere’s memoir, admitted threatening to throw a phone at her, and said he had asked for that story to be removed.
- He called reading the account brutal and argued that alleged abusers should confront such stories to understand their behavior and its harm.
- Court records show Hickerson pleaded no contest in April 2021 to two felony counts, served 45 days in county jail, was placed on probation, ordered to complete 52 domestic-violence classes, and was bound by a multi-year restraining order.
- Panettiere has described writing about the relationship as “brutal, traumatic, and emotional,” with This Is Me: A Reckoning set for release May 19 by Grand Central Publishing.
- Hickerson’s response positions the memoir to reach not only survivors but also people who have harmed partners, which could nudge prevention and education efforts.