Hayden Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel, says she believes a “toxic individual” played a role in the painful rift between her and her daughter — and, in her view, contributed to the circumstances surrounding Hayden’s death.
In a new statement addressing Panettiere’s tragic death, Vogel, 70, told Entertainment Tonight her daughter became involved with the ‘wrong person’ – and that the family made an unsuccessful attempt at removing him from her life.
Vogel did not identify the person in her latest remarks, though she recently criticized Panettiere’s on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson, saying the family had been “trying to get rid of” him “for quite some time.”
Panettiere, who died Sunday at 36 after a suspected overdose, had a strained relationship with her mother in recent years. Vogel has now spoken publicly about their estrangement and the heartbreak surrounding it.
“Although my daughter and I were estranged, it was not for lack of care or love. It was due to the involvement of a toxic individual who I believe led to her death,” Vogel told ET.
“Hayden was a beautiful and talented young woman who unfortunately became involved with the wrong person, and although her family tried to extricate him from her life, we were unable to be successful.
Hayden Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel, said in a new statement that she believes a “toxic individual” contributed to her daughter’s death at 36
“I hope all remember Hayden for the beautiful human being inside her and her gift to the world from her time on this earth.
“My heart is with you, Hayden. Mama.”
Panettiere and Hickerson had an on-off relationship from 2018 to 2022 that was marred by domestic violence incidents and arrests – with Hickerson serving jail time for abusing her. In recent months they had been seen spending time together once again.
Lesley also said a narcotics investigator has become involved in the investigation into Hayden’s passing.
‘It leads me to believe there are still questions surrounding what happened, and I think we are all looking for answers,’ she told Entertainment Tonight.
Panettiere, 36, was found unresponsive in a South Carolina apartment and was later declared dead.
Hickerson and his brother, Zach, were both at the scene when Panettiere was pronounced dead.
According to TMZ, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has joined the investigation into Panettiere’s death.
Greenville Police and the coroner’s office are running parallel investigations into the star’s death, TMZ reported on Wednesday.
‘Hayden was a beautiful and talented young woman who unfortunately became involved with the wrong person, and although her family tried to extricate him from her life, we were unable to be successful,’ she told ET. Panettiere and Vogel pictured in 2007
The DEA’s reported involvement aligns with paramedics reporting a suspected overdose over dispatch calls. First responders located Narcan, a nasal spray used to reverse the effects of opioid overdose, inside the Greenville, South Carolina, apartment where Panettiere died.
It is still not known if narcotics contributed to her death as toxicology results are pending.
Vogel’s latest remarks come after she slammed Hickerson during an interview with NBC News after news of the Heroes star’s passing.
‘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,’ she told the news outlet.
‘There is a lot of history in the past that Brian has enabled Hayden many times and this is why her father and I had been concerned for a long time about him.’
Hickerson’s lawyer, Sloan Ellis from Ellis Hinton law firm, has since addressed Panettiere’s death.
‘Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed,’ said Ellis.
‘As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play.
‘Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.’
Vogel’s latest remarks come after she slammed Panettiere’s on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson, pictured above with the actress in 2018, during an interview with NBC News after learning of her daughter’s passing
Panettiere began acting as a child, appearing in soap operas, then gained wider recognition for her role in the 2000 sports drama Remember the Titans with Denzel Washington, and as the voice of Dot in Pixar’s 1998 film A Bug’s Life.
Panettiere later found fame playing cheerleader Claire Bennet in the superhero drama Heroes before starring as country singer Juliette Barnes for six seasons on Nashville.
She earned two Golden Globe nominations for best supporting actress on the show, while her singing produced 11 entries on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.
Panettiere’s film credits include 2006’s Bring It On: All or Nothing, the comedy-drama film Raising Helen, and appearances in Scream 4 and Scream VI as Kirby Reed.
She had an 11-year-old daughter called Kaya following a life-threatening birth, and later gave full custody of the child to her former fiancé, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko.
The former child star made a name for herself with roles in Remember The Titans, Heroes and Nashville. Above, in 2022
Panettiere’s passing was announced Sunday by her father Skip Panettiere, who said in a statement: ‘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. We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.’
Authorities in Greenville, South Carolina, subsequently said that officials responded to an apartment in the area after receiving a report of an ‘unresponsive female’ via a possible ‘drug overdose,’ subsequently determined to be Panettiere.
Officials, who attempted lifesaving measures prior to declaring the actress deceased, said that no signs of trauma or foul play were evident in their probe into the Panettiere’s death, which remains ongoing.
