Hayden Panettiere’s Father Charged With Battery

Over a month after Alan Panettiere was arrested for repeatedly hitting his wife Lesley after an argument a Hollywood party, the father of Heroes‘ Hayden Panettiere has been charged with misdemeanor battery. If found guilty, Panettiere could be looking at a year in prison.

Both Hayden and her father have claimed that the matter was overdramatized, with the actress claining her family was “happy” and Alan saying it was “blown way out of proportion by a sheriff who wanted his 15 minutes of fame.” Lesley, who called the authorities on Alan but refused to go to the hospital, has yet to comment.