Hayden Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel, is speaking out after her daughter’s death at age 36.
“I think Hayden was an amazingly talented person in so many departments, and I think young people who grow up in the entertainment industry — it is a struggle and it’s a very challenging industry and it’s not unusual for them to sadly find the wrong path,” Vogel said in a statement to NBC News on Tuesday, August 18.
Vogel added that she takes solace in the fact that Hayden has reunited with late brother Jansen Panettiere, who died at age 28 in February 2023 due to an undiagnosed enlarged heart and aortic valve complications.
“I just feel that she’s with her brother and they’re at peace,” she told the outlet.
Vogel also slammed Hayden’s on-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, who found the actress before she was declared dead.
“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,” Vogel said.
News broke of Hayden’s death on Sunday, August 16, with her father, Skip Panettiere, mourning the loss in a statement shared via his daughter’s rep. According to a Greenville City Police Department incident report obtained by WYFF, officials spoke with Hickerson and his brother on the scene.
“After EMS officially declared Hayden deceased, I escorted Zach and Brian out of the apartment,” the police report stated. “I observed Zach to be very emotional while EMS were working on Hayden. Brian did not become emotional until EMS declared her officially deceased.”
Hayden’s cause of death has not been revealed. Authorities in South Carolina confirmed on Monday, August 17, that they responded to reports of an “unresponsive female” — later identified as Hayden — at a residence in the city of Greenville.
TMZ reported that first responders attempted to resuscitate Hayden using “advanced cardiac life support,” which included CPR, special medicines, breathing tubes and heart rhythm tracking. She was pronounced dead after the paramedics were unable to revive her.
Around the time of Hayden’s death, authorities could be heard discussing an “overdose” and “cardiac arrest” in dispatch audio obtained by People. Police have confirmed that an investigation is underway.
“The case is under investigation by the Greenville Police Department in conjunction with the Greenville County Coroner’s Office,” authorities said in a statement. “The preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. An acquaintance of Ms. Panettiere placed the 911 call.”
Hayden is survived by her family, including 11-year-old daughter Kaya, whom she welcomed in December 2014 with ex Wladimir Klitschko. Hayden and Klitschko split in 2018, and she later relinquished full custody of their daughter while struggling with postpartum depression and alcohol and opioid addiction. Kaya relocated to Ukraine to be with her father.
Months before her death, Hayden opened up to Us about her “incredible” relationship with both Klitschko and Kaya.
“I can’t even put into words. She’s just an incredible gift,” Hayden said of her daughter in her May cover story. “She is just such an incredible human being. She’s otherworldly and so sweet and so kind and so fierce and such a lover and surrounded by good people and good friends, and it’s incredible for me to be able to watch her thrive in areas that I struggled with growing up.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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