Hayden Panettiere spoke openly about her estrangement from her mother, Lesley Vogel, in the months leading up to her death in August 2026.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have a relationship right now,” Panettiere exclusively told Us in May 2026. “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.”
Hayden, the daughter of Vogel and Skip Panettiere, died at age 36 at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina. (Skip and Vogel also shared son Jansen Panettiere, who died in 2023 at the age of 28 following an undiagnosed heart condition.)
In addition to her parents, the Heroes and Nashville alum is survived by daughter Kaya, whom she welcomed in December 2014 with ex Wladimir Klitschko.
Keep scrolling for more on Hayden’s relationship with her estranged mother:
Hayden Panettiere Addresses Fractured Relationship
Ahead of the May 2026 release of her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, Panettiere gave Us a candid look at her fractured relationship with Vogel, who had managed her career as a child star.
In her exclusive cover story, Hayden described the pressure she felt growing up in Hollywood under her mother’s management.
“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,” the Ice Princess actress recalled at the time. “It was nice to hear positive feedback from people like the directors or producers, but without [my mom’s], nothing else mattered. I felt like I had an identity crisis at 12 years old. I didn’t know who I was.”
Lesley Vogel Pushed Back on Hayden Panettiere’s Claims
Vogel spoke to Page Six in May 2026, alleging her daughter was trying to “sell books” by describing “20 years of trauma.” Vogel claimed “this condition cannot be ‘fixed'” regardless of “continual efforts to support” or “comfort.”
“There is a personality ‘style’ which manifests as a need for control, entitlement and a lack of empathy,” Vogel told the outlet. “The major fear is that someone will see through the mask they present to the world and discover who they truthfully are.”
Hayden Panettiere Responded to Mom Lesley Vogel’s Accusations
Hayden addressed her mother’s statement in an interview with Entertainment Tonight later in May 2026, calling the allegations “so false.”
“When people ask me about the relationship, if there’s any hope for the future, I always say I leave that door cracked open in case,” she told ET. “Because who doesn’t want a relationship with their mother? You pray for it and hope it eventually comes. But she slammed that door pretty hard in my face. She has very clearly prioritized herself, which I should not be shocked by.”
Hayden contrasted the estrangement from her mother through her close bond with her father, Skip, telling Us that month that living with him and her stepmother in Rockland County, New York, was a big help.
“My dad and I have a great relationship,” she said in her cover story. “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.”
Lesley Vogel Addresses Daughter Hayden Panettiere’s Death
Vogel spoke to NBC News two days after her daughter’s death in August 2026.
“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,” Vogel said. “I just feel that she’s with her brother and they’re at peace.”
Vogel also criticized Brian Hickerson, Hayden’s on-off boyfriend, who was at the residence when Hayden was found dead.
“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,” Vogel alleged.
This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
