Hayden Panettiere shared an update on her relationship with her estranged mom, Lesley Vogel, months before her untimely and shocking death.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have a relationship right now,” the Heroes alum exclusively told Us back in 2025. “But that doesn’t mean that I don’t leave the door open for the opportunity to present itself one day. It’s hard for me to say, but I’ve chosen to be brutally honest. So that’s the honest truth of it.”
Panettiere, who died at age 36 in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday, August 16, had a strained relationship with her mother, who managed her career when she was a child star.
“It’s so ingrained in me to be a people pleaser. I went on set, and it was all about being professional, nailing it and always hitting my mark. I had to be perfect. It was nice to hear positive feedback from people like the directors or producers, but without [my mom’s], nothing else mattered,” Panettiere told Us ahead of the release of her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, in May. “I felt like I had an identity crisis at 12 years old. I didn’t know who I was.”
Vogel, 70, denied her daughter’s claims about their rocky relationship ahead of the book’s release.
“There is a personality ‘style’ which manifests as a need for control, entitlement and a lack of empathy,” she told Page Six in May. “The major fear is that someone will see through the mask they present to the world and discover who they truthfully are.”
While speaking to Us, Hayden also shared an update on her relationship with her father, Skip Panettiere.
“My dad and I have a great relationship,” she said. “I actually went and lived with him and my step mom for a while, and where I was born and raised in Rockland County, and felt like being at home regrounded me. Being around family reminded me of who I am at my core, and put my feet back on the ground whenever my body threatens to float away.”
Skip confirmed Hayden’s death in a statement to Us on Sunday.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen,” he said. “We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”
Authorities in South Carolina confirmed on Monday that officers responded to reports of an “unresponsive female” at a residence, later identified as Hayden, and a possible “drug overdose.” (Hayden was candid about her years of substance abuse issues prior to her death.)
“The case is under investigation by the Greenville Police Department in conjunction with the Greenville County Coroner’s Office,” authorities said in a statement. “The preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. An acquaintance of Ms. Panettiere placed the 911 call.”
The Greenville County Coroner’s Office confirmed on Monday that an official autopsy was conducted and completed on the late actress.
“On August 16, 2026, at approximately 1:51 PM, a 911 call was received regarding a reported cardiac arrest,” the office said in a statement. “First responders and Emergency Medical Services arrived on scene and located a female in cardiac arrest. EMS personnel initiated advanced cardiac life support measures; however, resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, and the individual was pronounced deceased at 2:32 PM.”
The office noted of the autopsy, “No signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death.”
Cause and manner of death “remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies.”
“This investigation remains active and ongoing. No further details are available for release at this time,” the statement concluded.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
