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UPDATE: A lawyer for Hayden Panettiere tellsPeoplethat the actress regularly sees her daughter and that Panettiere has not communicated recently with Brian Hickerson.
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Hayden Panettiere‘s relationship withBrian Hickersonis still concerning her friends and family, a source tells PEOPLE.
As Hickerson faces a felony charge in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident, a source says Panettiere’s loved ones “are begging her to straighten up and move ahead.”
“It is totally out of control and she has to get over this guy,” the source says.
“Her friends and family have been worried about her for quite a while, and things seem to have gotten worse,” the source adds. “She needs to do some soul-searching… It’s a sad situation.”
TheNashvillestar, 29, was first linked to the aspiring actor last August, shortly after reports circulated that she and then-fiancéWladimir Klitschko(the father of her 4-year-old daughter Kaya) hadsplit.
According to a lawyer for Panettiere, she and Hickerson have not been in communication recently.
“Hayden needs to surround herself with different types of people and get a hand on both her personal and professional life,” the source says. “It’s hard to imagine things getting any worse, but they could.”
Kaya has apparently been living in Ukraine with Klitschko, 43, ever since their breakup, although the actress sees her daughter regularly, according to a lawyer for Panettiere. In February, sheposted a photo from vacationwith her little girl.
“Her life is in flux with her daughter living away, and she has other issues weighing on her mind,” the source says.
A second insider tells PEOPLE that their “heart breaks for what Hayden must be going through.”
“Hayden is a wonderful and talented girl who was so happy with her family,” the insider says. “I hope she can wade through whatever has gone wrong and get her life back together.”
Panettiere could not be reached for comment. Hickerson’s lawyer did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Hickerson was charged withone count of felony domestic violenceon May 23 and pleaded not guilty to the charge, a spokesperson for the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office confirmed to PEOPLE at the time.
Last week, according toRadarOnline, Hickerson appeared in court as a Los Angeles superior judge listened to testimony from the police officer who responded to the domestic violence call on May 2. During the hearing, the judge denied the motion to dismiss criminal charges against Hickerson and declined to consider a lesser misdemeanor charge.
The judge also detailed the alleged abuse.
If convicted, Hickerson faces up to four years in prison.
Panettiere’s familyexclusively told PEOPLElast week, “We are hopeful that the judge makes the right decision. It’s an important message in terms of domestic violence for all women.”
Sources previously told PEOPLE the relationship is asource of concernamong Panettiere’s friends and family. (Last November, they were reportedly involved in adrunken altercation with Hickerson’s dad.) However, the star had her issues long before Hickerson came into the picture; she struggled with postpartum depression after welcoming Kaya,seeking treatmentin rehab in 2015.
If you suspect domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
(This article has been updated since its original publication.)
source: people.com
