Hayden Panettiere‘s estranged mother has spoken out in defense of how she is mourning her daughter’s demise. Panettiere breathed her last on August 16, 2026, at the age of 36.
Following the 36-year-old actor and singer’s death, her mother Lesley Vogel‘s behaviour has drawn criticism and has been a matter of debate. Vogel joined Good Morning America for an interview which released on August 24, 2026. Addressing the criticism that has been coming her way, Vogel said, per People, “I would say to the haters out there, you don’t have a right to tell me how I mourn the loss of my second child. That’s my domain.” Sharing how she felt, Panettiere’s estranged mother said, “I was numb. I was just numb.”
Further reflecting on how she has been dealing with the loss of her daughter, Vogel added, “I just couldn’t feel anything. I still am not grasping this is real. It doesn’t feel real. My mind tells me it’s not all the time. It’s gonna be a process.”
Hayden Panettiere was found on August 16 in cardiac arrest inside an apartment in South Carolina. After unsuccessful resuscitation efforts, she was pronounced dead. It was reported that initial autopsy reports detected no signs of foul play.
Why Lesley Vogel says she stopped speaking to Hayden Panettiere
During her interview with Good Morning America, Lesley Vogel opened up about her estranged relationship with Hayden Panettiere. About a year ago, Panettiere’s mother reportedly went to stay with her to help her while she was struggling with her relationship with her then-boyfriend Brian Hickerson. Panettiere was in an on-and-off relationship with Hickerson since 2018. Vogel reportedly had an uncomfortable discussion with her daughter, and the mother returned to her home in Florida.
“She knew that Brian was toxic. She knew she had to get him out of her life. When I got the phone call from her saying, ‘I’m going to be with the person I love,’ and I just lost it. I could not believe that 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,” said Vogel, per People.
Vogel then shared, “I needed it. I needed to have that pocket of time, of course, I thought it was going to be a pocket of time.” She further added, “I did not by any stretch of the imagination think that this was gonna happen to Hayden. I don’t know why. I just didn’t.”
Originally reported by Disita Sikdar on ComingSoon.
