Hayden Panettiere died on Sunday, at only 36 years old. The actress is survived by her 11-year-old daughter Kaya, and her family is in mourning. Sadly, her relationship with her mother, Lesley Vogel, was strained for many years. And just months before her death, Vogel made a shocking claim about her daughter.
Hayden Panettiere, known for Remember the Titans and later the television series Heroes and Nashville, died on August 16 at the age of 36 after she was found unresponsive at a home in Greenville, South Carolina. Her father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed the heartbreaking news and described his daughter as “an incredible light and a force of nature.”
Authorities have said the investigation remains ongoing, with no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances found so far. Meanwhile, on Monday, the 911 call audio was unveiled by Page Six, with the possible cause of death being revealed.
Hayden Panettiere released her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning just months ago. In it, she revealed many details about her past, including the strained relationship with her estranged mother, Lesley Vogel.
Hayden Panettiere complicated relationship with her mother
Hayden said she had chosen to be honest about the situation, explaining that she and her mother had not been talking at the time.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have a relationship right now,” she told US Magazine before the memoir’s release, adding that she had not completely closed the door on reconnecting one day.
The actress also described how difficult it had been growing up with her mother managing her career.
Hayden became a child star at a very young age. Speaking with CBS News, she recalled how her mother dragged along her “eight-month-old baby into audition rooms.”
“It went from there and progressed into 50 commercials by the time I was five… It just never stopped,” Panettiere explained.
In May, Hayden Panettiere appeared on On Purpose with Jay Shetty, where she spoke at length about her estranged mother. After working together for pretty much her entire life, Panettiere finally dared to “split” from her mother at 19, whom she called “boss.”
However, Lesley wasn’t having it.
Estranged mother made claim about Hayden Panettiere shortly before the actress died
“She came into my trailer during lunch when we were filming ‘Heroes,’ and I said to her, ‘I don’t want us to work together anymore; I just want you to be my mom,’” Panettiere recalled telling Vogel, who allegedly replied, “You owe me.”
Lesley Vogel wasn’t happy with her daughter’s words. Not long after, in an interview with Page Six, she strongly disputed Hayden’s story. She even claimed that her daughter only did it to sell books.
She added a rather harsh assessment of Hayden’s personality as well, alleging that she had displayed “a need for control, entitlement and a lack of empathy.”
Moreover, Vogel said she was the one who had cut contact after what she described as “20 years of trauma.”
“After 20 years of trauma, I took the advice of professionals and chose the no-contact route. As many parents of entertainment children [know], we are all too familiar with the painful observation of watching the self-destructive paths they sometimes choose,” she said in part at the time. “No parent hopes for this scenario; we want our children to be the best of themselves and live a peaceful, joyful life!”
Despite everything, Hayden had said she remained open to the possibility that their relationship could change one day. Sadly, that opportunity never came.
Rest in peace, Hayden Panettiere.
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