Hayden Panettiere’s Mom Hits Back At ‘Shameful’ Criticism, Calls It ‘Lack Of Professionalism’
Hayden Panettiere‘s mother, Lesley Vogel, is taking charge of the narrative!
The late actress’s mother is touching on some layers of events that allegedly occurred before she passed away with her boyfriend around and how Gayle King and other media heads painted her out to be the bad guy.
Hayden Panettiere and Lesley Vogel have remained estranged for a while before her death on August 16, 2026, at the age of 36, when she was found unresponsive following a cardiac arrest at an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina.
Vogel explained in a recent lengthy interview that her daughter’s boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, may not be entirely honest about his version of events. She revealed that she had exerted pressure on the law enforcement agents in South Carolina to investigate Hickerson, who once served time for assaulting Panettiere.
Vogel noted that Hickerson had a very toxic bond with Panettiere and that unhealthy dynamic ran deeper than people envisaged. She recalled speaking to an officer of the law at the scene of her daughter’s death, asking if there would be more investigation.
Although Hickerson has yet to be accused of any crime, Vogel insisted that her late daughter’s boyfriend left out vital information in his account. Hickerson had told the police that he stepped out around 10:30 on August 16 while Panettiere was getting her makeup done; he returned to take a nap and then found the actress unresponsive alongside his brother moments later.
As noted by The Daily Mail, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has now joined the investigation as questions continue to surround the circumstances of Panettiere’s death.
Lesley Vogel Defended Herself Against Claims She Failed Her Daughter
5The actress’ mother then shifted her focus to Gayle King and Megyn Kelly, who had offered their two cents on Panettiere’s death by referencing her confessions about Vogel in her memoir.
Vogel lamented that her move to get justice for her late daughter has now been complicated by the attack from commentators who never personally knew her or understood the complexities of her relationship with Panettiere. She declared:
“I was very, very hurt and deeply disappointed in the lack of professionalism, the lack of compassion in slamming someone who’s lost two children, without even a modicum of consideration. No one reached out to me before. It’s shameful. It’s unconscionable to me.”
King had picked a bone with Vogel’s choice of words in her statement after Panettiere’s death, where she claimed the actress had lost her way before she died.
Kelly also delivered a harsher assessment, claiming Vogel failed in her responsibility as a parent and suggesting she benefited from Panettiere’s childhood acting career. The podcaster insisted that Panettiere’s later struggles reflected a failure to make her feel safe, loved, and supported while growing up.
Hayden Panettiere’s Mom Mentioned The Presence Of A Medication At The Scene
5Vogel found the presence of Narcan at the scene of her daughter’s death disturbing, and even more controversial that Hickerson had administered it to her, according to his brother, Zach.
According to the National Harm Reduction Coalition, Narcan, known as Naloxone, is a medication known as an opioid antagonist and used to counter the effects of an opioid overdose. Naloxone can temporarily restore breathing when morphine, oxycodone, heroin, or fentanyl have dangerously slowed or stopped someone’s breathing.
She argued that it was difficult to understand how someone could remain unaware that a person next to them was experiencing a potentially fatal medical emergency.
Vogel went even further, sharing her personal theory that Hickerson may have realized Panettiere had already died before contacting his brother and constructing an explanation of what happened.
Reflecting on Panettiere’s life, Vogel said she noticed the actress changed noticeably after her association with Hickerson. Vogel claimed she became suspicious of Hickerson’s intentions early in the relationship, and questioned what he wanted from Panettiere.
She also described their relationship as becoming more and more codependent as it became so intertwined with substance use that it became a part of their lives.
Vogel said she repeatedly warned both of them that their dynamic was unhealthy, but efforts from Panettiere’s family, friends and professional circle ultimately failed to separate the pair.
Inside Panettiere’s Painful Rift With Her Mother Before Her Death
5Panettiere and her mother severed their ties when the former was 19 and had her mother manage her professional career. As noted by The Blast, Vogel explained in her statement that their estrangement wasn’t caused by a lack of love, but by Panettiere’s refusal to cut ties with the negative influence in her life.
Right before Panettiere launched her memoir, Vogel had accused her daughter of using the book for publicity and causing her decades of trauma. However, despite the hurt detailed in the actress’ memoir, she expressed openness to reconciling with Vogel, though she changed her mind after Vogel’s comments about her memoir.
On August 19, actress Ruby Rose also shared screenshots of her conversation with Panettiere, in which she confessed she was deeply hurt by her mother’s actions.
Rose urged the public to wait for more information on the actress’s death, stating: “Don’t take it from her estranged mother. Or any of her abusers. She worked too hard and came too far for this b-llsh-t. I promise you.”
Hayden Panettiere’s Neighbor Detailed Disturbing Incidents About Her Relationship
5Panettiere had previously spoken about the domestic violence she suffered in her tumultuous relationship with Hickerson, who had also previously admitted to abusing the actress. The Blast noted that Panettiere’s former neighbor Mia Terrazzas recalled witnessing several disturbing incidents involving the couple.
The neighbor recalled once seeing the actress looking terrified while being taken from her home on a gurney with injuries that were too vivid to ignore. Terrazzas also recalled calling 911 roughly half a dozen times over disturbances and unsettling noises emanating from the actress’ apartment.
She also detailed an incident in which Hickerson allegedly destroyed Panettiere’s bathroom with a sledgehammer early in the morning. Hickerson also broke his silence on Panettiere’s death through his lawyer, Sloan Ellis, who stressed that authorities have discovered no signs of foul play.
Ellis said Hickerson would refrain from further comments out of respect for Panettiere’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation.
