Hayden Panettiere and her mom, Lesley Vogel, were estranged leading up to the former child star’s death. The “Remember the Titans” star previously opened up about their strained relationship in her May 2026 memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” and again on an appearance on Jay Shetty’s “On Purpose” podcast.
Now, one week after her daughter’s passing, Vogel is sharing her side of the story of their estrangement.
Mother-Daughter Estrangement
GettyVogel opened up during an in-depth interview with the Daily Mail, which was published on Saturday, August 22. According to the former actress, her relationship with Panettiere fell apart because of her daughter’s ex, Brian Hickerson.
“When Brian came into her life, the changes started to occur,” Vogel told the outlet. “Very early in the game, I thought he’s a modern-day gigolo. I know what he’s after.”
She went on to say that Panettiere and Hickerson’s relationship turned toxic and codependent with the regular presence of drugs.
“I would talk to both of them about it. I would say, ‘This is a codependent relationship, and it is not healthy for either of you,'” Vogel added. “My sadness is that everything that I did, her father did, friends did, business people did – we could not break that codependent bond. It is so much more powerful than people understand. When Hayden comes out and talks trash about Mom, it’s because I had to break away.”
She continued, “I had to go no contact because I could not help her anymore. I could not change this pattern, and believe me, I tried. I didn’t leave because I didn’t care about her or didn’t love her. I put so much effort in trying to save her. You cannot save someone who doesn’t want to be saved.”
Despite their estrangement, Vogel praised Panettiere’s ex and father of her granddaughter, Wladimir Klitschko.
“He is one of the most exceptional people I’ve ever met,” she said of the former heavy-weight boxing champion.
Hayden’s Side
Just months before her untimely death at the age of 36, Panettiere vulnerably opened up about her life, including her relationship with her mother.
“I started baby modeling at 8 months old,” she says. “I did my first commercial at 11 months old. It was just so militant. No questions asked. I was a little soldier,” Panettiere told Yahoo in May, amid the release of her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning.”
While her mother served as her manager throughout her childhood and teenage years, the dynamic caused much stress and pressure for the young star.
“Whether or not my mom approved of my performance made or broke it. I either got love and pride, or I got shame,” she told the outlet.
She later explained to Shetty that after 19 years of her mother acting as her manager, the “Nashville” star decided to part ways professionally.
“I don’t want us to work together anymore. I just want you to be my mom,” she recalled telling Voge. “I remember being hopeful. But I also wasn’t expecting the reaction that I got, which was, ‘You owe me.’ And that’s all she said. And she walked out.”
