Hayden Panettiere has been through a lot in her life and has been judged immensely for it. Now, the 36-year-old is spilling all of the tea, or at least most of it, in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning. Yet, one of her exes is attempting to defend his chapter, where he was the aggressor. So, did he just get a bad edit, or should he not even try to defend himself? Keep reading for more details.
Hayden’s Been Through It
Growing up in the spotlight is never easy, especially when constantly being judged left and right. As Hayden Panettiere got older, she saw how damaging Hollywood could be. In 2014, she welcomed her first child, Kaya, but was very open about her struggle with postpartum depression. It cost her a massive gig, which she never expected. The actress and singer went on to struggle with addiction and eventually handed over custody to her ex, Wladimir Klitschko. Her life continued to be a battle as she began dating Brian Hickerson shortly after splitting from Wladimir.
Unfortunately, the relationship turned violent as he was arrested several times during the four years they were together. By 2021, he received 45 days behind bars, four years’ probation, and was ordered to stay away from Hayden for five years. She discussed what she went through in her memoir, and while Brian notes that it was not easy to read, he feels that it is vital. He knows that it is a lesson learned, but he did recall one incident between the couple that he thinks should have stayed between them:
“I was drunk. Hayden was standing across the room and I had a phone in my hand and I said, ‘Uh, Hayden,’ I said, ‘I’ll give you 10 seconds to run as fast as you can before I throw it at you.’”
Despite that being horrific, Brian attempted to defend his behavior toward Hayden Panettiere. He stated that this happens “all the time.” However, that is not an excuse by any means and should not be tolerated.
Brian Did Not Know Right From Wrong
Hayden Panettiere’s ex-boyfriend firmly believes that this memoir is crucial for abusers to read. Moreover, Brian Hickerson stated that this is not something readily taught to young men. It seems that he is, once again, trying to justify his bad behavior by blaming his parents for not telling him how to treat a woman:
“My biggest thing about domestic violence is I don’t think it is taught early enough in life. Never in my life did I ever get taught what domestic violence was, right? Maybe if I did at an early age, maybe I wouldn’t have done what I did. We don’t know.”
Brian has been saved by Shia LaBeouf, and that has helped him find AA. Furthermore, he is very strong in his religion and faith. Finally, Brian alleges that he and Hayden Panettiere were just in touch, and he would love to be her husband.
What do you think of Brian’s share, and do you think he has it all together? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Amanda has been a professional freelance writer for over a decade, holding both a BA and an MA. Her passions include animals, iced coffee, gnomes, summer, music, and ‘Vanderpump Rules’.