George Gillett missed Liverpool's 1-1 Champions League draw at Arsenal.
"I've seen him [Hicks] and he said, 'Congratulations, well done, good job' - but then I had to come and see you," Reds boss Rafa Benitez told reporters.
The match had threatened to be overshadowed by a visit by the club's pair of feuding American owners after Gillett said they could no longer work together.
Hicks, who has been threatening to block Gillett from selling his stake to a Dubai consortium, watched from the directors' box, where he wore a Liverpool/Arsenal scarf.