Hayden Panettiere has not severed ties with Brian Hickerson.
More than two years after their breakup following a domestic battery incident that led to Hickerson's arrest, the Scream 6 star opened up about their tumultuous past. In a New York Times profile published on April 4, Panettiere reflected on how she was at the height of her struggles with addiction when she was dating Hickerson—and her decision to reconnect with him as friends after they both became sober.
"There are feelings there, yes," she told the outlet, which noted that Panettiere referred to Hickerson as "babe" several times throughout the interview. The publication also stated Panettiere was hesitant to define her current relationship with Hickerson, though she noted their friendship is "contingent on him continuing on this road of recovery."
Sharing that Hickerson "knows he deserved what happened to him" after spending jail time for his charges, the 33-year-old explained of their reconciliation, "I did not do any of this lightly."
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