Well folks, we've got good news and bad news.

The good news is, it looks as though Hayden Panettierre has finally parted ways with her abusive boyfriend, Brian Hickerson.

The bad news is, it appears that she's now dating Brian's brother, Zach Hickerson.

We don't mean to suggest that Zach is necessarily a bad guy because of his association with Brian.

It's just one of the situations that seems likely to end badly, ya know?

News of the romantic shakeup comes to us courtesy of Radar Online.

A source tells the site that this is no mere fling, and Hayden and Zach have been in a relationship for several months now.

“It’s a very strange set of circumstances,” says the insider.

“I don’t know if it’s better than the alternative,” claims the source, identified only as a "concerned friend."

“How strange it may be, the one positive thing about this is Zach is certainly not the violent temper that Brian is.”

Obviously, that's a good thing.

But it's hard not be concerned for Hayden's safety knowing that she's still in Hickerson's social circle following what we assume was a very messy breakup.

Hickerson stands accused of assaulting Panettiere several times over the course of a single week earlier this year.

To the chagrin of her family and friends, Hayden stayed with Brian despite the allegations.

Currently, Hickerson is awaiting trial on domestic violence charges that could land him behind bars form a very long time.

Hayden has yet to confirm her new relationship but she was recently spotted on what appeared to be a date with Zach.

“They were walking hand-in-hand, talking and laughing together,” says the source.

“She was jumping up and down making funny faces, and he was flexing his muscles and laughing. They looked happy together.”

The insider adds that Hayden and Zach have “been involved for two months now.”

“Those close to Hayden are not going to pretend to understand it or condone it,” but “there’s nothing anyone can do,” claims the informant.

“She has been reluctant to talk about it because she knows how people feel — it’s definitely something she would not want to discuss.," the insider adds.

"And she doesn’t want to share too much especially because of what’s going on with Brian and his legal issues.”

Brian Hickerson's jury trial begins in Los Angeles court on September 24.

We'll have further updates on this developing story as more information becomes available.