Hayden Panettiere’s estranged mother, Lesley Vogel, has responded after Gayle King publicly criticized her initial comments following Panettiere’s death.
Hayden Panettiere died on August 16 at the age of 36. She was found in a South Carolina apartment where paramedics attempted CPR.
Her ex-partner Brian Hickerson and his brother were reportedly with her at the time, and the DEA has since opened an investigation.
Panettiere’s estranged mother, Lesley Vogel, soon after released a statement that didn’t sit well with many. She described her daughter as talented but noted that young people who grow up in entertainment often face a difficult industry. She also added that it isn’t unusual for some to end up on “the wrong path.”
Gayle King’s critique
TV personality Gayle King was among those who criticized Vogel’s comments. On CBS Mornings, King read the statement aloud and said it made her sad that, given the opportunity to speak after her daughter’s death, this was what Vogel chose to share.
King added that reading it left her thinking, “Thanks, Mom, for nothing.”
Other panelists on the show shared similar reactions. Kelly O’Grady said Vogel should have stopped after calling her daughter amazing and talented, Vladimir Duthiers said using the days after Panettiere’s death to highlight past trauma felt unseemly, adding that a mother’s instinct should simply be to mourn.
King also pointed to the approach taken by Panettiere’s father, Skip, who released a statement describing his daughter as an “incredible light and a force of nature,” suggesting Vogel could have taken a similar tone.
Vogel called King’s comments unprofessional
Vogel has now spoken with the Daily Mail, addressing King’s comments directly.
She said she was deeply hurt by what she described as a lack of professionalism and compassion, especially toward someone who has lost two children.
She noted that no one from the show reached out to her beforehand, calling the situation shameful.
In her original remarks, Vogel had also criticized Hickerson, Panettiere’s on-and-off partner who has previously served jail time related to domestic violence charges. According to her the family had been trying to distance him from Panettiere for some time and pointed out he was the one with her when she died.
Vogel addressed the estrangement
Vogel has since released a broader statement addressing the backlas. She told Entertainment Tonight that although she and her daughter were estranged, it wasn’t due to a lack of love or care, but because of what she described as a toxic influence in Panettiere’s life that she believes contributed to her death.
She also referenced Panettiere’s memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, released in May, in which Panettiere spoke candidly about their relationship.
Vogel also said parents of children in the entertainment industry often become painfully familiar with watching their kids struggle, adding that you cannot save someone who doesn’t want to be saved.
READ MORE:
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- Police reveal new details following Hayden Panettiere’s sudden death at 36
