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Hayden Panettiere Is Dating Brian Hickerson After Wladimir Klitschko Split

Actress was spotted holding hands with her new beau last week

By Jess Cohen Aug 06, 2018 7:44 PMTags
Hayden Panettiere, barefootCLICKSNAP / BACKGRID

Hayden Panettiere is moving on after her split from Wladimir Klitschko.

E! News has learned that the 28-year-old Nashville actress is dating 28-year-old Brian Hickerson, the man she was spotted holding hands with last week while out to dinner at Craig's in West Hollywood. "He is from South Carolina and moved to Los Angeles to do real estate and acting," a source tells E! News about Hayden's new beau. "He just started getting into the acting business and is going on castings trying to break in the industry."

The insider adds that Hayden and Brian "hit it off" after meeting through mutual friends.

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Hayden Panettiere and Wladimir Klitschko Split: Look Back at Their 9-Year Relationship
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"Brian has been her sounding board since Hayden split from Wladimir and has really been there for her," the source continues. "They have been seeing each other for the past month and are hooking up."

Prior to his romance with Hayden, Brian used to date Baskin Champion, who was recently linked to Justin Bieber. After a barefoot Hayden was spotted holding hands with Brian last week, it was confirmed that she and Wladimir—who share a 3-year-old daughter named Kaya—had called off their engagement.

"At this point, Hayden is single and she and Wladimir are co-parents to Kaya," a source shared with E! News. "Kaya is primarily with her dad and his family in Europe and Florida. They also spend time together as a family with Hayden."

"Hayden and Wladimir are on great terms and friendly," the insider added. "They are a big part of each other's lives and will continue to be. Hayden is back in Los Angeles and figuring out what's next."