Archive · 25 Aug 2026
Hayden Panettiere’s Mother Speaks After Actress’ Death
Hayden Panettiere was an actress known for Heroes, Nashville and Ice Princess.
She died at age 36 after being found unresponsive in South Carolina.
Her mother, Lesley Vogel, said the loss still does not feel real.
Vogel wants people to remember Hayden for her personality and talents, not only her struggles.
She also asked people not to judge how she mourns.
The mother and daughter had become estranged before Hayden died.
Vogel said she had worried about Hayden’s relationship with Brian Hickerson.
Police are still investigating what happened.
Officials have not yet announced the official cause of death.
Lesley Vogel said she wants Hayden Panettiere remembered as talented, intelligent and outgoing beyond her struggles.
Panettiere, 36, was found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina, on August 16.
The official cause and manner of death remain pending as police and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigate.
A police report said Panettiere was with Brian Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, when she died.
Vogel discussed her estrangement from Panettiere and said she had urged her daughter to leave Hickerson.
- Who
- Actress Hayden Panettiere died at 36; her mother, Lesley Vogel, discussed the loss. The Greenville City Police Department is investigating.
- What
- Panettiere was found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at the scene; her official cause and manner of death remain pending.
- When
- She died on August 16. Vogel’s comments came months after Panettiere discussed their relationship in a May ABC News interview.
- Where
- Panettiere was found at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina.
- Why
- The cause and manner of death have not been determined; additional studies and an investigation are ongoing.
Vogel’s Perspective
Other Reported Perspectives
How Panettiere should be remembered
Vogel’s Perspective
Lesley Vogel said Hayden should be remembered for her talent, intelligence, beauty and outgoing personality rather than primarily for her struggles or public life.
Other Reported Perspectives
The article also describes Panettiere’s public discussions of postpartum depression, addiction, recovery and domestic abuse, which form part of the record of her life and career.
Mourning and public judgment
Vogel’s Perspective
Vogel said critics do not have the right to tell her how to mourn the loss of her daughter.
Other Reported Perspectives
The article does not identify a specific critic’s response or provide a competing account of how Vogel should grieve.
Panettiere’s relationship with Brian Hickerson
Vogel’s Perspective
Vogel said Hickerson was toxic, that Hayden knew she needed to leave him, and that Vogel made his removal from Hayden’s life a condition of their relationship.
Other Reported Perspectives
The article reports that Hickerson was with Panettiere when she died and that he previously pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend, but it does not establish that the relationship caused her death.
- Age at death
- 36
- Date of death
- August 16
- Location
- A residence in Greenville, South Carolina
- Known for
- Heroes, Nashville and Ice Princess
- Investigation
- The Greenville City Police Department is investigating, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration.
- Cause of death
- The official cause and manner remain pending further investigation and additional studies.
- People reportedly present
- Brian Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, according to a police report obtained by ABC News.