Lesley Vogel Breaks Silence on Hayden Panettiere's Death at 36 as Investigation Remains Pending
Updated
Updated · abcnews.com · Aug 24
Lesley Vogel Breaks Silence on Hayden Panettiere's Death at 36 as Investigation Remains Pending
3 articles · Updated · abcnews.com · Aug 24
Summary
Lesley Vogel said she was "numb" after Hayden Panettiere was found unresponsive on Aug. 16 at a Greenville, South Carolina, residence and pronounced dead at the scene at age 36.
Vogel told ABC News she wants her daughter remembered as a talented, intelligent woman, while also saying Hayden had long been suffering despite her fame and career success.
Their relationship had been strained for months: Vogel said she became estranged from Hayden after urging her to leave boyfriend Brian Hickerson and then giving an ultimatum that she could not stay in contact if he remained in her life.
The death investigation is still open, with Greenville police leading it and the DEA assisting; the coroner said the cause and manner of death remain pending, and a police report said it was unknown whether drugs or alcohol were involved.
Vogel's comments also revisit a painful family history, coming after son Jansen Panettiere died in 2023 and months after Hayden publicly described her relationship with her mother as difficult.