Hayden Panettiere's mother, Lesley Vogel, has spoken publicly about the impact fame had on her daughter, saying she began to see her "going downhill" after she landed her breakthrough role in Heroes.
The actress, also known for roles in Nashville and the Scream franchise, died aged 36 at her home in Greenville, South Carolina, on August 16.
Mother's emotional interview
Speaking about her daughter's death on Good Morning America, Vogel became emotional and admitted she was "still not grasping this is real". She then stood up from her chair and said she "needed a minute" before continuing with the interview.
The former actress said her relationship with Panettiere changed after she found fame as a teenager, having been cast as cheerleader Claire Bennet in Heroes at just 16.
She said: "I would say Hayden had a very happy life up until she got Heroes at 16. Here she was, the star of a major TV series, but I would say, at about 17, I started seeing her going downhill."
Loss of influence
She went on to explain that she gradually had less influence over her daughter's decisions as Panettiere grew older.
"As she got older, it wasn't my voice anymore. I wasn't in charge of her choices. I tried to give her the best advice I could. But again, any young person, teen, they want to be liberated and I get that," Vogel explained.
In her memoir This is Me: A Reckoning, Panettiere claimed that when she was 19, she told her mum she no longer wanted her to manage her career. According to the actress, Vogel responded: "You owe me."
However, Vogel denied making the comment, saying: "I know I didn't say what she said I said."
Family struggles and loss
Panettiere was mother to an 11-year-old daughter named Kaya, whom she shared with former boxer Wladimir Klitschko. In 2018, Klitschko received full custody of their daughter.
Vogel described the period surrounding Panettiere, Klitschko and Kaya as particularly difficult. She explained: "The situation with Hayden and Vlad and their daughter, that was a very difficult period for her. Vlad had taken over custody for safety, in my opinion. She just couldn't keep those demons away."
Panettiere had spoken publicly about her struggles with addiction and her mental health throughout her life. Police in Greenville said she was found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest, with "no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances".
Vogel also addressed criticism from people, including CBS Morning host Gayle King, who felt she was focusing too much on her daughter's struggles following her death.
"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.
Panettiere was Vogel's daughter with her former husband Alan Lee "Skip" Panettiere. The couple also had a son, Jansen, who died aged 28 in 2023 from aortic valve complications arising from an enlarged heart.
Speaking about losing both of her children, Vogel said she had been forced to find strength despite the devastating losses. She stated: "I think you just have to find that inner strength. I have been knocked down throughout my life and I'm not complaining because I have the strength to get back up. It's not if we fall, it's how we get back up, that defines who we are."
