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Hayden Panettiere’s mother broke her silence two days after the “Heroes” star died. She was 36.
Lesley Vogel, who once managed the child star’s career, took aim at Panettiere’s on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson.
“This person in her life that we have been trying to get rid of for quite some time was with her at her death and that was Brian Hickerson,” Vogel told NBC News.
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Lesley Vogel, Hayden Panettiere’s mother and former manager, broke her silence on her daughter’s death. (Mathew Imaging)
The “Nashville” actress died Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina. Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were with Panettiere at the time of her death, according to a police report obtained by the outlet.
“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,” Vogel said.
Hickerson did not immediately respond to Digital’s request for comment.
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While Vogel served as Panettiere’s manager for most of her childhood career, the actress ended their business relationship when she was 19 and was estranged from her mother earlier this year.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have a relationship right now,” Panettiere told US Weekly in May. “But that doesn’t mean that I don’t leave the door open for the opportunity to present itself one day. It’s hard for me to say, but I’ve chosen to be brutally honest.”
Hayden Panettiere and Brian Hickerson began dating in 2018 and broke up in 2022. (gotpap/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
Lesley Vogel served as Hayden Panettiere’s manager for most of her childhood career. (Getty Images)
Preliminary autopsy results found no signs of trauma that contributed to her death, Digital confirmed.
“First responders and Emergency Medical Services arrived on scene and located a female in cardiac arrest,” the Greenville County Coroner’s Office said in a statement. “EMS personnel initiated advanced cardiac life support measures; however, resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, and the individual was pronounced deceased at 2:32 PM.”
The Greenville County Coroner’s Office and Greenville City Police Department launched parallel investigations into her death.
“At autopsy no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death,” the coroner’s statement continued. “The cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies.”
“This investigation remains active and ongoing. No further details are available for release at this time.”
Hayden Panettiere found fame at a young age, and starred on the hit series “Heroes.” (Dean Handler/NBC/Everett Collection)
Panettiere’s younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, died unexpectedly in February 2023 at age 28.
The “Remember the Titans” actress is survived by her daughter Kaya, who was born in 2014, with ex-fiance Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko.
Klitschko admitted that his family was “going through a time of profound shock and grief” in a post shared on social media Tuesday.
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“The announcement of Hayden’s tragic death saddens me deeply. She left this world far too soon,” he wrote. “Hayden was, although no longer my partner, an important part of my life and the mother of our daughter, Kaya.
“She built an incredible career through immense talent, while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry. Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives.”
He added, “To our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was. I extend my deepest condolences to Hayden’s parents, her friends, and her fans, who are also grieving today. Young and talented people like Hayden should not leave this world so soon.”
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In “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” her memoir released in May, Panettiere discussed why she gave her ex full custody of their daughter in 2018.
Hayden Panettiere told Digital she’s doing “great” and has a close bond with her daughter Kaya. (Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)
“I just knew that if I wanted to… I knew how bad a place I was in,” the actress told Digital last month. “I hid it from my daughter as much as I could.”
“When I saw her in the environment over there (in Europe) and the support system that she had, I said to myself, ‘If I fight, if I go to war about this, it’s going to permanently damage my child. It’s going to be incredibly public. She’s got two very famous parents, and it’s going to be ugly.'”
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“I said, ‘You know what? Let her grow up here,'” she said. “I will travel here as much as I can. I know she’s safe. I know she’s well taken care of — beyond well taken care of. She has an incredible life. And I also knew that there would be a day when she would come back to me.”
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Digital’s Christina Dugan Ramirez and Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.
