Hayden Panettiere‘s mother Lesley Vogel says there was a singular reason she and her daughter stopped talking: Brian Hickerson.
Speaking to ABC News, Vogel recalled giving her daughter an ultimatum.
- Hayden Panettiere died on Aug. 16 after going into cardiac arrest. A toxicology report and full autopsy will take several weeks or months.
- Boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother Zach were with her at the time and called 911.
- The actress best known for roles in Heroes and Nashville had recently published a memoir in which she described abuse, broken relationships and the stress of Hollywood, all leading to struggles with addiction.
GMA aired the interview on Monday morning (Aug. 24). It’s the first time any member of Panettiere’s family or inner circle has spoken on camera since the actress’ Aug. 16 death.
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While emotional, Vogel is only unable to continue at one point in the chosen clips for the video package. For the most part she’s calm as she gives a timeline of Panettiere’s later years and how her perspective was slowly squeezed out.
Hayden Panettiere’s Mom Lesley Vogel Interview:
During the interview, Vogel says the estrangement began one year ago when her daughter called asking for help separating from on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson.
“She knew that Brian was toxic. She knew that she had to get him out of her life,” she tells ABC News’ Rhiannon Ally.
Vogel went to stay with Panettiere, but Hickerson was able to find his way back into her life. In the end, his influence was stronger and before long she knew she’d lost.
“When I got the phone call from her saying, ‘I’m going to be with the person I love.’ I just lost it,” she says.
After speaking with her therapist, Vogel gave her daughter an ultimatum. She said she couldn’t talk to her if Hickerson was in her life, and so they didn’t speak. That was the start of their estrangement.
These remarks are in line with what Vogel told Page Six last spring after Panettiere described her fractured relationship with her mother.
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Toward the end of the interview, Vogel suggests there will be a proper remembrance for her daughter, but she’s not given it much thought yet. Instead she’s still very interested in seeing the investigation come to a proper conclusion.
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Panettiere had one child, a daughter with former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko. Vogel says that having to give up the little girl marked a turning point for her daughter.
She also says that the 36-year-old’s estate will go to her daughter.
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Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
