Hayden Panettiere received widespread support after revealing her bisexuality this week, but her estranged mother, Lesley Vogel, has cast doubt on the timing of the announcement.
Public Declaration and Mother's Reaction
In an interview with Us Weekly promoting her upcoming memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, the 36-year-old actress said she felt 'sad' for waiting so long to share this part of herself. 'Now that I know that this book is coming out, and that I've chosen to share it with the world, I'm comfortable saying I'm bisexual,' Panettiere stated. 'I'm comfortable to confidently say that, yes, I am bisexual. I said it!'
However, Vogel, 70, expressed skepticism in a statement to the Daily Mail. 'I do not believe it was being hidden, but there is no historic proof that this is the case. I do think the timing of this coming out is very interesting,' she said.
Panettiere's Past Relationships and Family Estrangement
Panettiere admitted to secretly dating women from a young age, preferring them to men. 'I didn't really have the courage to throw myself fully, emotionally into it, because then if I did fall in love, that wasn't something that I wanted to ever have to hide,' she told Us Weekly.
Regarding her mother, Panettiere said the door is open for reconciliation. 'Unfortunately, we don't have a relationship right now. But that doesn't mean that I don't leave the door open for the opportunity to present itself one day,' she explained. Vogel, however, sounded less optimistic, citing '20 years of trauma, chaos, addictions, accusations' as reasons for choosing no contact. 'There will forever be a lingering hope that she will find her own path to inner peace,' Vogel added.
Memoir Details and Personal Struggles
Panettiere's memoir, out on May 19, delves into her turbulent life, including substance abuse, postpartum depression, and the death of her younger brother Jansen in 2023 at age 28. She gets 'brutally honest' about her mother pushing her too hard and serving as her manager. 'I was so scared of her that approaching her and being honest about my feelings was not going to get me any positive reaction. This is my way of doing it,' she said.
Panettiere also opened up about her postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter Kaya, now 11, which left her feeling 'incapable of being a semi-decent mom.' She lost custody to ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko, but now maintains a healthy relationship with both. 'I have an incredible relationship with both of them. I'm so grateful for Wlad. We're very close,' she said.
The actress is now close to her father and stepmother, finding grounding in her childhood home in Rockland County.
