Actress Hayden Panettiere involved in 'huge melee' outside bar


Hayden Panettiere and her on-again-off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson were involved in a fight outside a bar in Los Angeles on Thursday night, according to People — and TMZ has the footage.
Video obtained by TMZ showed the Heroes star and Hickerson getting into a physical altercation with a group of people outside the Sunset Marquis, and TMZ wrote that they looked like "tag-team partners" while in the "huge melee."
A representative for Panettiere told People that while inside the restaurant, Hickerson, "who happened to be with Hayden," made a "comment to an individual about leaving the waitress a poor tip." That person and their group then "began badgering and shoving Brian," the representative claimed, adding, "Brian was attacked by the group, as was Hayden, who in her best effort tried to diffuse the situation."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
According to TMZ, one of the people claimed Hickerson spit on them, and everyone involved was kicked out by a manager prior to the fight.
"Hayden was refused the opportunity to provide a statement to the police as she was escorted back inside," Panettiere's representative told People. "She is okay."
In the video, Panettiere can be heard yelling, "Brian, jail!" — presumably concerned because Hickerson is currently on probation for alleged domestic abuse against her. In 2020, Panettiere spoke out about the alleged domestic violence, saying she was "prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub
Speed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills
Speed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play