Zach Hickerson has spoken out after he was arrested during a bar brawl where he and his brother were allegedly harassed about Hayden Panettiere’s death.
The incident unfolded Saturday night at Wild Wing Cafe in Greenville, South Carolina, where Brian Hickerson, 37, and his brother Zach were confronted by two middle-aged women who repeatedly approached their table, according to eyewitnesses. Brian, Panettiere’s ex-boyfriend, was released from the scene, but Zach was taken into custody for disorderly conduct after a Greenville Police Department spokesperson said he was “highly intoxicated.” He was transported to Greenville County Detention Center and later released on bond.
Video circulating online captured Brian throwing a barstool as people shouted for him to stop, with Zach then allegedly approaching another man before a brawl erupted. The eyewitnesses were uncertain whether the women were asking questions about the late actor or attempting to de-escalate after men at their table began mouthing off.
Speaking to the outlet following his arrest, Zach expressed deep frustration with how the family has been treated.
“It’s just super frustrating all that we’ve been through and all the rumors that get started and then people believe them and then they attack as a result of the rumors,” he told the outlet.
He also complained to the outlet that people “fill in their own holes” and “attack others based on what they assume happened.” The outlet reported that he would “not clarify” what he meant by people believing misinformation, but indicated he would “clarify soon.” When asked how his brother was doing, he did not respond.
The brothers have found themselves at the center of intense scrutiny since Panettiere was found unresponsive on August 16 at a residence in Greenville, where emergency responders attempted cardiac life support before declaring her dead at the scene. It has since been revealed that the Hickerson brothers were with the Nashville star at the time of her death.
A week after her passing, Zach broke his silence on the tragedy, saying: “There are a lot of assumptions, speculations and accusations currently swirling. The truth will come out as the authorities complete and release additional details from the investigation. And that is important because the people who loved and adored Hayden deserve the truth.”
He continued: “At this time, I want to clarify my involvement in effort to keep the focus on the fact that we lost one of the most precious individuals on this earth and to allow those that cared about her to mourn without additional noise, chaos and misinformation being created and propagated by the media as well as the public.”
Brian addressed Panettiere’s death through his attorney, Sloan Ellis, who said: “Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed. As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play.”
The Saturday night confrontation marks the second time in recent weeks that Zach has turned to the outlet to address matters surrounding Panettiere’s death and the family’s involvement.