Hayden Panettiere wants to "make sure" her ex-boyfriend Brian Hickerson "never hurts anyone again".
Hayden Panettiere
The 30-year-old actress filed to register an out-of-state order to protect her from her ex-partner in California earlier this week, five months after he was arrested in Wyoming for domestic battery after allegedly hitting the 'Nashville' actress in the face.
And now, Hayden - who split from Brian shortly after the alleged incident - has said she is "coming forward with the truth" about Brian's alleged actions, as she wants to see justice served.
She said in a statement: "I am coming forward with the truth about what happened to me with the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve. I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again. I'm grateful for my support system, which helped me find the courage to regain my voice and my life."
Brian has pleaded not guilty to the domestic battery charge, and will face trial in September.
And this week, he was also arrested and charged with corporal injury on a spouse/cohabitant, for which he remains in police custody on a $320,000 bail.
During Brian's arrest in February, it was claimed he hit Hayden "with a closed fist on the right side of her face".
The paperwork filed at the time explained when police arrived on the scene, they found Brian on the driveway and he told them the 'Nashville' star was inside and claiming "he beat the f**k out of me".
When asked if he had physically assaulted his girlfriend, Brian was said to have avoided answering.
In May 2019, Brian was arrested on domestic violence charges after he and Hayden - who has five-year-old daughter Kaya with her ex-fiance Wladimir Klitschko - allegedly got into a physical altercation at their home following a night of drinking and was later ordered to stay 100 yards away from her.
However, the case against him was dismissed when the district attorney's office couldn't "secure a material witness" and the couple were seen together again in November.
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