Hayden Panettiere’s Mom Breaks Silence, Calls Out Boyfriend Who Was “With Her at Her Death”
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Hayden Panettiere's mother, Lesley Vogel, has broken her silence following the actress's death, criticising Panettiere's on-again-off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson, who was present when she died. Speaking to NBC News, Vogel said the family had "been trying to get rid of" Hickerson "for quite some time" and that Panettiere had "lost her way," attributing this partly to the pressures faced by young people who grow up in the entertainment industry. Her comments have reopened scrutiny of Panettiere's relationship with Hickerson, who previously pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a partner after Panettiere detailed physical abuse in her memoir, and received a five-year protective order.
Panettiere, 36, was found unresponsive on Sunday at an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina, alongside Hickerson and his brother; the Greenville County Coroner's Office said there were no obvious signs of trauma, and her cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation, though a 911 call reportedly referenced an "overdose" and "cardiac arrest". Vogel told NBC News she planned to speak to a detective but had no further information about the circumstances. She had reportedly cut off contact with her daughter earlier this year, on professional advice, after "20 years of trauma," saying at the time that watching her daughter's "self-destructive path" was something "no parent hopes for."
- Hayden Panettiere's mother criticises daughter's boyfriend Brian Hickerson, present at her death
- Panettiere, 36, found unresponsive Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina; cause pending
- Hickerson previously convicted of injuring Panettiere; mother had gone "no-contact"
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Lesley Vogel is the mother of Hayden Panettiere, the American actress best known for roles in "Heroes" and "Nashville". Panettiere, 36, died on Sunday at an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina, where she was found unresponsive with no obvious signs of trauma; officials have not yet confirmed the cause or manner of death. Also present at the scene were her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother.
Hickerson has a documented history with Panettiere that predates her death. In her memoir, Panettiere wrote about being physically abused by him, and he later pleaded no contest to two felony domestic violence charges, which resulted in a five-year protective order being put in place. This background is why his presence at her death has drawn significant attention.
Vogel's recent comments to NBC News are her first public remarks since her daughter died. She has described trying to distance the family from Hickerson for some time, said Panettiere had struggled under the pressures of growing up in the entertainment industry, and explained that she had kept a "no-contact" approach with her daughter in recent months on professional advice, after what she called years of family trauma.
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