Hayden Panettiere's mother has spoken out for the first time since her daughter's tragic death, criticising the actress's on-again, off-again boyfriend who was with her at the time.
Mother's statement
The Nashville star was found dead in her apartment in South Carolina on Sunday (August 16) afternoon aged 36, passing away from a suspected heart attack. Lesley Vogel, 70, has now broken her silence on the devastating incident, slamming her daughter's boyfriend Brian Hickerson.
Speaking to NBC News, Vogel 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. 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."
Brother's death
"I just feel that she’s with her brother and they’re at peace," she added. Panettiere's younger brother Jansen died unexpectedly from a heart attack aged 28 in 2023.
Emergency services said an "acquaintance" of Panettiere's had made a call for a person in "cardiac arrest" before they arrived at the Scream star's home on Sunday.
Police report details
In a heavily-redacted police incident report obtained by NBC News, it said Hickerson showed authorities a "bag of medication" Panettiere was taking at the time of her death.
She began dating Hickerson, 37, in 2018, with reports claiming her friends and family were "deeply concerned" by her new relationship. "They do not approve. They are hoping that this is something that she is going to evolve from," a source told RadarOnline.
History of abuse
In May 2019, Hickerson was arrested for domestic violence after an incident at Panettiere's home. In April 2021, he pleaded guilty to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend following a string of incidents involving the Hollywood star between May 2019 and January 2020.
He was sentenced to 45 days in jail, ultimately serving 33, along with four years of probation, mandatory domestic violence classes and a five-year restraining order. Despite this, the pair were seen together again in July 2021.
Throughout their relationship, Hickerson made it clear he disliked Vogel, once branding her "by far one of the worst people I've ever met in my life", adding: "She's terrible."
