Hayden Panettiere may be indestructible, but her mother is not. The Heroes actress' father was arrested early this morning at the family's West Hollywood home after allegedly hitting his wife.
According to TMZ, who first reported the story, Panettiere's parents fought following a party the Heroes star hosted for the Whaleman Foundation at Hollywood's Beso restaurant (which happens to be owned by another pint-sized actress, Eva Longoria).
According to Sgt. Scott Wolf of the West Hollywood Sheriffs Department, Alan Panettiere allegedly hit Hayden's mother, Lesley, because "they were at a party and the husband apparently felt disrespected by his wife."
"There was a domestic argument between the mother and father," Wolf said in a statement. "He got upset and struck the mother in the face one or two times on the left cheek which caused some bruising. From what I'm told, he hit her with a closed fist. The mother called police shortly before 3 a.m., and Mr. Panettiere was taken into custody. He's been cooperative."
According to Wolf, Alan, 49, was arrested for felony domestic violence instead of a misdemeanor charge because "there were visible signs of injury" on his 52-year-old wife's face. He is currently in custody, pending $50,000 US bail.
Hayden, an outspoken animal rights activist who participated in a risky dolphin-saving stunt off the coast of Japan last year, may soon be focusing on heroic missions closer to home.
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