Hayden Panettiere on Relationship with Brian Hickerson After His Arrest: 'There Are Feelings There'

In a profile interview with the New York Times, the 33-year-old "Scream VI" star opened up about reconnecting with the real estate agent and how their relationship has evolved in the time since his 2021 arrest.

She said the two -- who have a messy and complicated history together -- reconnected after they both got sober.

In April 2021, Hickerson spent 13 days in jail after pleading no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse/cohabitant/girlfriend/child's parent. He was also sentenced to four years probation, received a five-year restraining order and was ordered to attend 52 domestic violence classes and pay a $500 fee.

Hickerson initially pleaded not guilty to eight charges brought against him after his July 2020 arrest -- including battery, corporal injury, assault with a deadly weapon and intimidating a witness, for incidents that allegedly took place during his relationship with Panettiere. All remaining charges against him were dropped after his sentencing.

After his release, he said the pair were working on a "friendship" -- and now, Panettiere is hesitant to label things.

The Times noted Hickerson was at the same condo where they conducted this latest interview with her, adding she referred to him as "babe" throughout.

Speaking with the publication, the actress claimed that their reconciliation was "contingent on him continuing on this road of recovery" -- and admitted, "There are feelings there, yes."

"I did not do any of this lightly," the "Heroes" star said of reconnecting with him. She added: "He knows he deserved what happened to him."

He was previously arrested over allegations of abuse against Panettiere in February 2020 and May 2019, the latter also for felony domestic violence. He pleaded not guilty and those charges were dropped later that year.

"None of it is OK," Hayden told PEOPLE in 2022. "But I want to make sure that everybody knows that each person who goes through something like that, they're on their own journey. No two things are exactly alike."

"I am open to people who are willing to get help and make amends. He's gone to treatment and done his time. And I'm trying to live in a place of forgiveness," she said at the time. "I think he has done his time and was willing to get help."

She concluded: "I think about the things I have done in my life that people forgave me for. Making amends is a really important thing that you learn in treatment. And it gives you a lot of inner peace."