Lesley Vogel has fired back at critics questioning her grief over daughter Hayden Panettiere’s death.
The 70-year-old former soap actress, who was estranged from the “Heroes” star at the time of her passing, opened a “Good Morning America” interview with journalist Rhiannon Ally on Monday with a blunt message for online detractors. Vogel has faced backlash since Panettiere, 36, died from an apparent overdose at a luxury apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina, on Aug. 16.
“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,'” she said.
Vogel acknowledged that her grief remains raw and unreal. She described being “numb” and unable to feel anything when she first received the call about the “Ice Princess” actress. “I still am not grasping that this is real. It doesn’t feel real; my mind tells me it’s not at times. You know, it’s going to be a process,” she continued, before requesting a moment to cry off-camera.
She added that the full weight of the loss has yet to hit her. “It will probably hit me later on.”
Vogel said she wants Panettiere remembered as “the talented, you know, beautiful, outgoing, intelligent woman she really was.” Her public mourning has been complicated by the estranged relationship she shared with her daughter, which she addressed in an Aug. 18 statement, her first since the death.
“Although my daughter and I were estranged, it was not for lack of care or love. It was due to the involvement of a toxic individual who I believe led to her death,” Vogel told Entertainment Tonight in a follow-up statement after facing criticism. “Hayden was a beautiful and talented young woman who unfortunately became involved with the wrong person, and although her family tried to extricate him from her life, we were unable to be successful.”
That individual, according to Vogel, is Brian Hickerson, Panettiere’s on-again, off-again boyfriend. In the same “Good Morning America” interview, Vogel went after Hickerson directly, claiming he was somehow involved in her daughter’s death. A police report obtained by outlets on Aug. 17 revealed that Brian and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were with Panettiere at the time of her death. The report noted that Brian “did not become emotional” until she was officially declared dead.
Panettiere’s father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed “the tragic passing” with “profound sadness” in a statement. The police report also disclosed that the actress, who had struggled with “severe health issues” in recent months and was still battling addiction, was taking a “bag of medication” at the time of her death; the specific medications were redacted.
Vogel has not limited her accusations to general blame. She cast doubt on Hickerson’s version of how Panettiere died while they were staying in the same Airbnb, and she claimed he had “pawned” some of the actress’s belongings amid ongoing financial troubles. She also revealed she would be speaking with a private detective about the circumstances.
“I think Hayden was an amazingly talented person in so many departments,” Vogel said. “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.”
Speaking about Hickerson, she said, “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.”
In the viral moment that preceded this interview, Panettiere was found dead at a Greenville apartment complex on Aug. 16, with Hickerson and his brother present. The police report and subsequent family statements created immediate controversy, particularly after Vogel’s initial interview, in which she blamed Hickerson for her daughter’s death despite their estrangement. Online critics questioned Vogel’s credibility and motives, prompting her emotional “Good Morning America” appearance and her direct appeal to remember Panettiere’s humanity over the surrounding drama.
“I hope all remember Hayden for the beautiful human being inside her and her gift to the world from her time on this earth,” Vogel added in her Entertainment Tonight statement. “My heart is with you, Hayden. Mama.”
Vogel told Ally she remains in the early stages of processing a loss she still cannot fully accept.