Hayden Panettiere’s estranged mother, Lesley Vogel, has broken her silence on the actress’s death, directing pointed criticism at the man who was with her in her final hours.
In a phone interview with NBC News on Tuesday, Vogel said the family had long sought to distance Hayden from Brian Hickerson. “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 said. Vogel added that Hickerson had “enabled Hayden many times,” which is why she and Hayden’s father had remained concerned about him for years.
Panettiere, best known for her roles on Heroes and Nashville, was found unresponsive Sunday afternoon at an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina, where she had been temporarily staying. She was 36. A 911 call reporting cardiac arrest came in around 1:51 p.m. First responders attempted to revive her, but she was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:32 p.m.
A redacted police report confirmed that Hickerson and his brother Zach were present and made the emergency call. According to the officer’s account, Zach was “very emotional” as paramedics worked, while Brian did not become emotional until after she was declared deceased. He later showed officers a bag of medication Panettiere had been taking. An autopsy found no signs of trauma. The official cause of death remains pending further investigation, including toxicology results. Preliminary police findings indicated no foul play.
Vogel described her daughter as “an amazingly talented person in so many departments.” She noted the challenges faced by young people raised in the entertainment industry and said it is “not unusual for them to sadly find the wrong path.” “I think Hayden sadly lost her way, and I wish it were different,” Vogel continued. “I wish she had stayed true to herself because she had many incredible attributes.” She expressed comfort in the belief that Hayden is now with her younger brother Jansen, who died in 2023 at age 28. “I just feel that she’s with her brother and they’re at peace.”
Mother and daughter had been estranged in the months leading up to Panettiere’s death. Hayden addressed their complicated relationship in her May memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning and in related interviews.
Panettiere and Hickerson’s relationship, which began around 2018, was marked by repeated domestic violence allegations. Hickerson was arrested multiple times and in 2021 pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a partner. He served jail time and was placed on probation. In her memoir, Panettiere detailed instances of physical abuse. Hickerson has publicly acknowledged the abuse in interviews earlier this year. Reports indicate the pair had recently reconnected.
Vogel said she currently has limited information about the investigation but plans to speak with a detective. She left open the possibility of further action depending on the facts that emerge.
Panettiere first gained wide recognition as Claire Bennet on Heroes. Her later turn as country singer Juliette Barnes on Nashville earned her two Golden Globe nominations and placed multiple tracks on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. She also appeared in the Scream franchise and released her memoir earlier this year.
The Greenville Police Department and Greenville County Coroner’s Office continue to investigate.
