Hayden Panettiere's mother speaks for the first time after the actress's death

Lesley Vogel, mother of Hayden Panettiere, has spoken for the first time about the actress' death, on August 17, and has recalled the complicated relationship that both had in recent years. The interpreter was estranged from her mother and had not spoken for months. Now, Lesley has given a brief interview to CBS News after facing a new family loss: her son Jansen died on February 21, 2023.

The actress's mother, 70, wanted to highlight Hayden's talent and was convinced that she now rests with her brother. "I feel like he is with his brother and that they are at peace. I think Hayden was an incredibly talented person in many areas," he confessed during the interview.

Lesley has also regretted that her daughter ended up moving away from the person she was and making decisions that, according to her, ended up harming her due to her drug addiction problems. "I wish it had been different. I wish she had stayed true to herself because she had so many incredible qualities," he explained.

During her statements, Lesley has also pointed directly to Brian Hickerson, Hayden's ex-partner, when remembering the complicated relationship that both had for years. The actress's mother has pointed to her presence in the last moments of her daughter's life. "This person in her life, who we've been trying to get rid of for quite some time, was with her at the time of her death, and that was Brian Hickerson," he said.

Mother and daughter had decided to go their separate ways, both personally and professionally. The exact reasons for this estrangement have never been revealed, although Hayden herself acknowledged in an interview that her relationship with her mother was not going through a good moment. "Having a normal relationship with me was not something that interested him. And maybe it was something that he was not even capable of," the actress confessed.

As reported by NBC News, the last contact between the two occurred in October 2025 and was limited to a few brief messages, with no intention of recovering the relationship they had previously maintained. "Zero contact was a decision I made for very specific reasons and certainly not for lack of care, concern or love," Lesley explained of the decision to stay away from her daughter.