Brian Hickerson, the boyfriend of late actress Hayden Panettiere, was involved in a violent altercation at a bar in South Carolina on 12 September, just weeks after Panettiere's sudden death at 36. Police were called to the Wild Wing Café in Greenville following reports of an assault, and video circulating online showed Hickerson bloodied and handcuffed outside the venue, at one point referencing the leaking of information about his girlfriend's death by local police. The incident has drawn renewed attention to the circumstances surrounding Panettiere's death, which remains under investigation.

According to the Greenville Police Department, officers detained multiple patrons after arriving at the scene, and Hickerson's brother, Zachary, was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge after allegedly becoming "highly intoxicated" and yelling profanities; he was taken to Greenville County Detention Center. Hickerson himself was not charged and was released from the scene, despite footage showing him throwing a bar stool before being carried out. Panettiere was found dead at a Greenville residence on 16 August, with Hickerson and his brother having called 911 after discovering her unresponsive; preliminary autopsy results found no signs of trauma, though the Drug Enforcement Administration has since become involved in the ongoing investigation.