Hayden Panettiere's Mom Breaks Silence, Calls Out Boyfriend Brian Hickerson

Hayden Panettiere's mother, Lesley Vogel, broke her silence Tuesday following her daughter's death, directing pointed criticism at Panettiere's on-again, off-again boyfriend, actor Brian Hickerson, in her first public comments since the actress died at 36.

Speaking to NBC News, Vogel said Hickerson was someone the family had been trying to distance Panettiere from for years, calling him a presence they had "been trying to get rid of for quite some time." She said he was with Panettiere at the time of her death, which occurred Sunday at a home in Greenville, South Carolina.

What Vogel Said About Their Relationship

Vogel told NBC News there was a long history of Hickerson "enabling" her daughter, saying it was part of why she and Panettiere's father had been concerned about the relationship for a long time. She said the family had believed the couple to be broken up publicly, but that she had understood privately they remained together, contradicting the impression Panettiere had reportedly given her team and the public in recent months.

Vogel also reflected more broadly on her daughter's life and career, describing Panettiere as an enormously talented person who had struggled with the pressures that come with growing up in the entertainment industry. She said it can become difficult for young performers to stay true to themselves under that kind of scrutiny, adding that she thought "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.”

Vogel's relationship with her daughter had reportedly been strained in the years before her death. Vogel told Page Six back in May that she had cut off communication with Panettiere entirely, a rift that appears to have remained unresolved at the time of her daughter's passing. Vogel also referenced the earlier loss of Panettiere's younger brother, Jansen, who died in 2023, as part of the broader grief the family has now faced twice in just a few years.

What Police Reports Have Revealed

According to a Greenville Police Department report obtained by NBC News, both Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were inside the South Carolina apartment where Panettiere was found in cardiac arrest on Sunday afternoon. The report described Zach as visibly emotional while emergency responders worked on Panettiere, while Brian reportedly did not become emotional until she was pronounced dead just after 2:30 p.m. local time. The report also states Hickerson provided emergency responders with a bag of medication Panettiere had reportedly been taking.

Separately, sources told TMZ that Hickerson had been asleep in another room at the time Panettiere went into cardiac arrest, and that it was his brother who first discovered her unresponsive.

Hickerson had traveled with Panettiere from Los Angeles to South Carolina on Aug. 15, the day before her death. As of Tuesday, outlets reporting on the story said they had not received a response from Hickerson or his representatives regarding Vogel's comments.

A Relationship With a Documented History

Hickerson and Panettiere's relationship, which began after the two met on a film set in 2018, had drawn scrutiny in the past. Hickerson pleaded no contest in 2021 to misdemeanor domestic battery charges stemming from a 2019 incident involving Panettiere, for which he was sentenced to probation and a batterer's intervention program.

The tension between Hickerson and Vogel has also been public in the past. In May, Hickerson told TMZ he considered Vogel one of the more difficult people he had encountered, reflecting a strained relationship between the two that predates Panettiere's death.

Panettiere's official cause of death remains under investigation by the Greenville County Coroner's Office, and Vogel said she had very little additional information to share while that investigation continues.

Curious for more stories that keep you informed and entertained? From the latest headlines to everyday insights, YourLifeBuzz has more to explore. Dive into what’s next.