Lesley Vogel, Hayden Panettiere‘s estranged mother, is speaking out again.
She sat down with ABC News to discuss the tragic passing of her daughter. Lesley has faced backlash for her initial statement on Hayden‘s shocking passing at the age of 36. She was even called out by a well-regarded news anchor for her choice of words. She has now made several statements since.
In a new interview, Lesley Vogel was asked when she noticed Hayden Panettiere might’ve been going downhill
She said in an ABC News interview that aired during GMA on Monday (August 24), “Hayden had a very happy life, up until she got Heroes at 16. Here she was, the star of a major TV series. But i would say at about 17, I started seeing her going downhill.”
She continued, “As she got older, then it wasn’t my voice anymore. I wasn’t in charge of her choices. I tried to give her the best advice I could. Any young person…want to be liberated. I get that, I did get that.”
Lesley Vogel revealed what led to her estrangement from Hayden Panettiere
Towards the end of her life, Hayden Panettiere revealed she was not speaking to her mother.
Lesley said that one year ago, she went to stay with Hayden to help her.
Lesley then brought up Hayden‘s on-again/off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, who was there when she was pronounced deceased: “She knew that Brian was toxic. She knew she had to get him out of her life.”
After 6 weeks, Lesley says she left.
“When I got the phone call from her saying, I’m going to be with the person I love…. I just lost it. I lost it. I could not believe she had gone that far back, that he had been successful in reeling her back in with all of the things he had done to her,” Lesley continued.
She said, on the advice of her therapist, she told Hayden she would not be in her life if Brian was part of her life. This is what started their estrangement towards the end of Hayden‘s life.
“I did not…think that this was gonna happen to Hayden,” she shared.
Lesley Vogel told her side of the “you owe me” story
Earlier this year, Hayden opened up about a conversation she said she had with her mom where she wanted to cut things off professionally, but have a personal relationship instead.
“She came into my trailer during lunch when we were filming ‘Heroes,’ and I said to her, ‘I don’t want us to work together anymore; I just want you to be my mom,’” she said on Jay Shetty‘s podcast. Her mom’s alleged response? “You owe me.”
She said, “And that’s all she said, and she walked out. And part of me was like, ‘Oh, I’m relieved that it was short, like, rip the Band-Aid off.’ But then it was like this dark looming cloud over my head going, ‘What does she mean by I owe her? What form of payment is she expecting?’”
“Once the business aspect was removed, I was hoping that there [would] be no reason for her to be anything other than my than my mom. And the fact that it seemed like she didn’t want to — didn’t care to — have a relationship with me was a tough pill to swallow.”
Lesley spoke out about this.
“I remember being in her trailer and literally saying nothing. It was very short, very brief conversation. And then she turned and went to set,” she said during the GMA interview. “I know I didn’t say what she said I said.”
EXCLUSIVE: Hayden Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel, sits down with @ABC News’ @RhiannonAlly to share how she hopes her daughter will be remembered after the actress’ death at 36. pic.twitter.com/UZuuQOCECi
— Good Morning America (@GMA) August 24, 2026
Posted To:Brian Hickerson Hayden Panettiere Lesley Vogel