Hayden Panettiere’s Estranged Mother Lesley Vogel Speaks Out for the First Time After Her Death

The comments arrive months after Panettiere publicly detailed the complicated, business-first dynamic that defined much of her relationship with her mother. The two had remained estranged at the time of the actress's passing.

Lesley Vogel is breaking her silence following the death of her daughter, Hayden Panettiere, who passed away suddenly at age 36 — just days before what would have been her 37th birthday.

Hayden Panettiere & Mom Lesley during HBO Premiere of "Normal" at Geffen Playhouse on March 3, 2003 in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images

Vogel spoke by phone with NBC News on Tuesday, August 18, offering a candid reflection on her daughter's talent and the pressures that come with growing up in Hollywood.

"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," she said.

She continued, "I think it becomes very difficult to be true to yourself, and I think Hayden sadly lost her way, and I wish it were different. I wish she had stayed true to herself because she had many incredible attributes."

Hayden Panettiere and her mother Lesley Vogel arrive at the InStyle/Warner Bros. after party for the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Oasis Court at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 11, 2009 in Beverly Hills, California. | Source: Getty Images

Vogel also touched on the loss of Panettiere's younger brother, Jansen, who died unexpectedly at 28 in 2023. "I just feel that she's with her brother and they're at peace," she said.

The interview marks Vogel's first public comment since her daughter's death, and it comes against the backdrop of a relationship that had grown increasingly fractured in recent years.

Panettiere had spoken openly about the strain between them, most notably in her memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," released in May.

Lesley Vogel, Hayden Panettiere and Jansen Panettiere attend a Launch Party for 7 For All Mankind's New Crystalized by Swarovski Holiday Jean on September 24, 2004. | Source: Getty Image

During a May appearance on "On Purpose with Jay Shetty," Panettiere looked back on launching her acting career at just eight months old, explaining that the boundary between Vogel's roles as mother and manager grew increasingly blurred as she got older.

"Everything was business," Panettiere recalled. "I became the confidant and the assistant and the therapist and the shoulder to cry on and everything but her child."

She went on to describe a pivotal conversation that took place while she was filming "Heroes" at age 19, when she asked her mother to step back from managing her career so they could focus on rebuilding their personal relationship.

Lesley Vogel and Hayden Panettiere at Animal Fair's 8th Annual "Paws for Style" on June 11, 2007. | Source: Getty Images

"I said to her, 'I don't want us to work together anymore. I just want you to be my mom,'" Panettiere recalled. Vogel's response, according to Panettiere, was blunt: "You owe me."

"I remember being hopeful," Panettiere said of the exchange, admitting it was "disappointing" once she realized her mother appeared to be referencing money. "The fact that she didn't care to have a relationship with me was a tough pill to swallow."

Vogel, who managed her daughter's career from childhood, addressed these claims publicly around the time the memoir was released. While she disputed portions of her daughter's account, she did not deny that the two were estranged.

In a statement to Page Six, Vogel said she believed "the present drama is partially to sell books," adding that she had cut off contact after "20 years of trauma."

"As many parents of entertainment children know, we are all too familiar with the painful observation of watching the self-destructive paths they sometimes choose," she explained. "No parent hopes for this scenario; we want our children to be the best of themselves and live a peaceful, joyful life!"

Hayden Panettiere and mother Lesley attend Mercedes Benz Fashion Week held at Smashbox Studios on March 20, 2007 in Culver City, California. | Source: Getty Images

She added, "Sadly, this is out of our control. You cannot save someone who does not want to be saved. Radical acceptance is the most difficult challenge any parent must embrace. Unfortunately, I have seen a great deal of such in my life experience."

Despite the rift, Panettiere had voiced hope in May that reconciliation with her mother might still be possible down the road. "Unfortunately, we don't have a relationship right now," she told Us Weekly at the time. "But that doesn't mean that I don't leave the door open for the opportunity to present itself one day."