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Hayden Panettiere's mother breaks silence after her death
Shows Good Morning America ShopGMA Interest Successfully Added We'll notify you here with news about Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Off On Stream on Culture Hayden Panettiere's mother breaks silence after her death Hayden Panettiere’s mother opens up about her daughter’s life ABC News By Shafiq Najib August 23, 2026, 9:27 PM By Shafiq Najib August 23, 2026, 9:27 PM Hayden Panettiere 's mother is opening up about how she hopes her daughter will be remembered following the actress's death at age 36.
"I want Hayden to be remembered for the talented, you know, beautiful, outgoing, intelligent woman she really was," Lesley Vogel told ABC News.
Tune into “Good Morning America” on Monday, Aug. 24, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. on ABC to watch more of the interview with Hayden Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel.
Panettiere, known for her roles in "Heroes," "Nashville" and "Ice Princess," died on Aug. 16 after she was found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina. First responders attempted to resuscitate her, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Her death came months after Panettiere spoke publicly about her relationship with her mother, who served as her acting coach in her childhood.
In a May interview with ABC News , Panettiere said trying to maintain a relationship with her had been "tough."
"Over the years, I've tried to leave that door open, hoping that the relationship would evolve into a healthy mother-daughter relationship, and it's obvious that that's just not going to be the case," she explained.
At the time, Vogel responded to her daughter's comments in a statement to Page Six , saying she had chosen to go "the no-contact route" after taking "the advice of professionals."
The Greenville City Police Department is leading the investigation into Panettiere's death, with the Drug Enforcement Administration assisting, according to sources familiar with the matter.
According to a police report obtained by ABC News, Panettiere was with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother, Zach Hickerson, at the time of her death. The report said it was unknown whether Panettiere had been using drugs or alcohol.
Panettiere's official cause and manner of death "remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies," the coroner's office said.
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