Hayden Panettiere’s mother has blamed a “toxic individual” for her estrangement from her late daughter.
Hayden Panettiere’s mom has cited a “toxic individual” for being to blame for her estrangement from her daughter before her death.
The late Heroes actress – who died on Sunday (16.08.26) at the age of 36 – had a strained relationship with Lesley Vogel for many years, but her mother has insisted that wasn’t due to a “lack fo care and love”.
Lesley – who managed Hayden’s career in her younger years – told Entertainment Tonight in a statement: “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.
“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.”
Lesley noted narcotics investigators have joined the investigation into the Nashville star’s death.
She added: “It leads me to believe there are still questions surrounding what happened. And I think we are all looking for answers.”
Although she didn’t single anyone out by name, following Hayden’s death, Lesley had claimed she and the Scream 4 actress’ dad, Alan Panettiere, had been trying to “get rid of” her on/off boyfriend Brian Hickerson from their daughter’s life.
Hayden had a history of substance abuse and alcoholism, and Lesley accused Brian – who was with her when she died- of having “enabled” her over the years.
She told NBC News: “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.
“There is a lot of history in the past that Brian has enabled Hayden many times and this is why her father and I had been concerned for a long time about him.”
Hayden previously reflected on how her relationship with her mother grew strained as the boundaries between her as a parent and manager increasingly crossed.
She said on On Purpose with Jay Shetty in May: “Everything was business. I became the confidant and the assistant and the therapist and the shoulder to cry on and everything but her child.”
While filming Heroes when she was 19,she told Lesley she wanted to find new management in the hope of rebuilding their personal relationship.
She recalled: “I said to her, ‘I don’t want us to work together anymore. I just want you to be my mom.’ [She said] ‘You owe me.
“I remember being hopeful.”
But she noted it was “disappointing” when she came to believe her mother was referring to money.
She added: “The fact that she didn’t care to have a relationship with me was a tough pill to swallow.”
Hayden Panettiere’s mom addresses estrangement
