Hayden Panettiere and her mom, Lesley Vogel, were seemingly estranged just months before the Heroes star’s sudden death.
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During a May 2026 interview with Page Six, Vogel spoke about the claims Panettiere made against her while promoting her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.
Vogel told the media outlet that she believed the “present drama” was partially to sell books. She also called her daughter “entitled.”
“There is a personality ‘style’ which manifests as a need for control, entitlement, and a lack of empathy,” she said. “The major fear is that someone will see through the mask they present to the world and discover who they truthfully are.”
Vogel also stated the “condition” cannot be “fixed,” even with “continual effort to support” or “comfort.” She revealed that she hadn’t had contact with Panettiere since September 2025.
“After 20 years of trauma, I took the advice of professionals and chose the no-contact route,” Vogel continued. “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,” she pointed out. “We want our children to be the best of themselves and live a peaceful, joyful life!”
The former actress also said that you cannot save someone who “doesn’t want to be saved.”
“When someone leaves, the smear campaign begins,” she stated. “Accusations, anger, belittling, gaslighting, etc., are the classic signs of this behavior style. The craving of drama and punitive action is traditional and to be expected.”
Panettiere Recalled When She Found the ‘Courage’ to ‘Split’ From Her ‘Boss’ Vogel
Before Vogel’s statements, Panettiere appeared on Jay Shetty’s podcast. She spoke about how she found the “courage” to split from her mom, who had once been her manager.
While recalling the situation, Panettiere said she was 19 and filming Heroes when she decided to part ways with her mom professionally.
“I don’t want us to work together anymore; I just want you to be my mom,” she said.
However, Panettiere claimed her mom’s response was “you owe me,” which wasn’t what she expected. The actress then questioned what her mom meant by the comment.
Panettiere then alleged that her mom was referring to “money.”
Although she thought that things between her and her mom would change after the business aspect of their relationship was gone, the actor said that’s unfortunately not what happened.
“The fact that it seemed like she didn’t want to — didn’t care to — have a relationship with me was a tough pill to swallow,” she said.
Panettiere noted that she was “incredibly grateful” for her mom’s guidance during the early years of her acting career. However, she admitted that her mom had high expectations and was difficult to please.
Panettiere died on August 16 in South Carolina. She was 36 years old.