Lesley Vogel breaks silence on daughter Hayden Panettiere's death

Vogel, who managed her daughter’s career from infancy, described the entertainment industry as a grueling environment that often leads young performers toward destructive paths. While mourning, she finds solace in the belief that Hayden has reunited with her brother, Jansen Panettiere, who died in February 2023. “I just feel that she’s with her brother and they’re at peace,” Vogel told NBC News.

Her condemnation of Hickerson remains the most volatile element of the family’s response. Vogel explicitly stated that the family had long sought to distance the actress from him. “This person in her life that we have been trying to get rid of for quite some time was with her at her death,” she noted. Greenville police reports confirm Hickerson and his brother were at the apartment when emergency responders arrived, though authorities have emphasized that the ongoing investigation currently shows no signs of foul play or criminal conduct.

The public statement arrives against a backdrop of estrangement. In her recent memoir, Hayden Panettiere detailed a fractured relationship with her mother, citing the blurred lines between their personal and professional lives. Vogel dismissed these claims during the book’s promotion as performative drama, asserting that she had stepped back after years of witnessing her daughter’s struggles. As the Greenville County Coroner’s Office continues its work, the official cause of death remains pending, leaving the family in a state of suspended uncertainty.