Hayden Panettiere’s mother breaks silence on daughter’s death and blasts boyfriend who was ‘with her’
The mother of actress Hayden Panettiere has spoken publicly for the first time following her daughter’s death, directing sharp criticism at the star’s on-again, off-again partner Brian Hickerson.
Ms Panettiere, best known for her role in Nashville, was discovered unresponsive in her South Carolina flat on Sunday afternoon by a friend.
She was 36 years old, and a suspected heart attack is believed to have been the cause.
Mr Hickerson was reportedly present in the apartment at the time of her death.
Hayden Panettiere, known for roles in the Scream franchise and Heroes, died on Sunday night | REUTERSLesley Vogel, 70, had been estranged from her daughter for a number of years.
In her statement, she took aim at Mr Hickerson, whom she described as someone the family had long been trying to remove from Ms Panettiere’s life.
“This person in her life that we have been trying to get rid of for quite some time was with her at her death, and that was Brian Hickerson,” Ms Vogel said in her statement.
Ms Vogel made clear that the family’s concerns about the relationship were not new, suggesting they had spent a considerable period attempting to distance the actress from her partner.
Hayden Panettiere and her mother Lesley Vogel
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Mr Hickerson and Ms Panettiere had an intermittent relationship that had drawn scrutiny over the years.
His presence in the flat when the former child star was found unresponsive on Sunday has evidently intensified the family’s frustration, with Ms Vogel choosing to single him out in her first public remarks since the tragedy.
Despite her pointed criticism of Mr Hickerson, Ms Vogel also reflected on her daughter’s extraordinary abilities and the difficulties that came with early fame.
Hayden Panettiere and Brian Hickerson in 2019
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“I think Hayden was an amazingly talented person in so many departments and I think young people who grow up in the entertainment industry, it is a struggle and it’s a very challenging industry and it’s not unusual for them to sadly find the wrong path,” she said.
Ms Vogel acknowledged that the pressures of Hollywood had taken their toll on her daughter, saying Ms Panettiere had ultimately “lost her way.”
The grieving mother added that she draws some solace from believing her daughter has been reunited with her younger brother Jansen, who passed away in 2023 at the age of 28 following complications related to his aortic valve.
“I just feel that she’s with her brother and they’re at peace,” Ms Vogel said.
Hayden Panettiere died on Sunday, August 16, a week before her 37th birthday | GETTY
The pair’s relationship had been fractured for some years before Ms Panettiere’s death.
In May, the actress opened up about how her childhood in the entertainment industry had shaped their bond during an appearance on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast.
“Everything was business,” she said. “I became the confidant and the assistant and the therapist and the shoulder to cry on and everything but her child.”
Ms Panettiere revealed that she had attempted to reset the dynamic when she was 19 and working on the hit series Heroes.
“I said to her, ‘I don’t want us to work together anymore. I just want you to be my mom,'” she recalled.
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