The entertainment industry is still mourning the loss of one of its brightest stars, Hayden Panettiere. Following the 'Nashville' star's tragic passing, Panettiere's mother, Lesley Vogel, broke her silence. In a phone interview with NBC News on Tuesday (August 18).
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'Nashville' Star's Mother Speaks Out After Her Passing
In her statement to the outlet, Vogel spoke candidly about the "struggle" that Hayden and other child actors are faced with. And how it can ultimately drive them down the "wrong path."
"I think Hayden was an amazingly talented person in so many departments," Vogel said to the outlet. "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."
Panettiere's mother also added: "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."
Vogel Takes Swipe at Hayden's Boyfriend
Lesley also used the opportunity to take a swipe at her daughter's on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson.
When reacting to the news that Brian was with her daughter at the time of her death, she referred to him as a "person in her life that we have been trying to get rid of for quite some time."
"There is a lot of history in the past that Brian has enabled Hayden many times. And this is why her father and I had been concerned for a long time about him," Vogel told the outlet.
She did, however, conclude her statement on a high note. She said that she believed that her daughter was finally "at peace." And that she found resolve in knowing that Hayden had been reunited with her brother. Jansen, who suddenly passed away in 2023 at age 28.
Panettiere was found unresponsive in her Greeneville, South Carolina home on Sunday afternoon (August 16) at 36 years old. An official cause of death has yet to be released. However, Greeneville police have said that they do not believe that foul play was involved in her death.
