Hayden Panettiere’s estranged mother and former manager, Lesley Vogel, has spoken out about her daughter’s shocking death at the age of 36.
In an interview with NBC News, Vogel said, “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. 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.”
Panettiere detailed the turbulent relationship with her mother in her tell-all memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning” in May. Vogel, a former soap opera actress, was Panettiere’s manager when she started out in Hollywood at a young age. In her memoir, Panettiere called her mother a “perfectionist” and alleged that Vogel superglued a fallen tooth back into Panettiere’s mouth so she wouldn’t lose a job. She also claimed her mother pushed her to dress in more “girly” outfits, instead of her preferred tomboy style.
When the memoir was released, Vogel told Page Six that she believed “the present drama is partially to sell books…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. No parent hopes for this scenario; we want our children to be the best of themselves and live a peaceful, joyful life. Sadly, this is out of our control. You cannot save someone who does not want to be saved.”
Regarding her mother, Panettiere told Us Weekly that “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.” Vogel added in her NBC News interview, “I just feel that she’s with her brother and they’re at peace.” Panettiere’s younger brother Jansen died at 28 in 2023.
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