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Hayden Panettiere's mum breaks silence on death and slams 'wrong path' boyfriend

Hayden Panettiere's mother Lesley Vogel has spoken out for the first time since the Hollywood star's tragic death aged 36, slamming her daughter's on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson

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The actress was found dead in her apartment aged 36(Image: Getty)

Hayden Panettiere's estranged mother has broken her silence for the first time following her daughter's tragic passing. The Nashville actress was discovered deceased in her South Carolina flat on Sunday (August 16) afternoon at the age of 36, reportedly dying from a suspected cardiac arrest.

Lesley Vogel, 70, has now addressed the heartbreaking incident, launching a scathing attack on her daughter's turbulent partner Brian Hickerson, who was present when she died.

Speaking to NBC News, Vogel said: "This person in her life that we have been trying to get rid of for quite some time was with her at her death, and that was Brian Hickerson. 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.

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Hayden confirmed publicly that she and her mother did not have a relationship, and was open about her upbringing and fears regarding her mother(Image: Getty)

"I just feel that she's with her brother and they're at peace," she added. Panettiere's younger brother Jansen died unexpectedly from a heart attack aged 28 in 2023.

Emergency responders confirmed an "acquaintance" of Panettiere's had contacted them reporting someone in "cardiac arrest" before they reached the Scream actress's residence on Sunday, reports the Express.

According to a heavily-redacted police incident report secured by NBC News, Hickerson presented officers with a "bag of medication" Panettiere was taking at the time of her death. She started seeing Hickerson, 37, in 2018, with reports suggesting her friends and family were "deeply concerned" about her new romance.

"They do not approve. They are hoping that this is something that she is going to evolve from," a source told RadarOnline.

In May 2019, Hickerson was arrested for domestic violence following an incident at Panettiere's residence.

In April 2021, he admitted guilt to two felony charges of harming a spouse or girlfriend after a series of incidents involving the Hollywood actress between May 2019 and January 2020.

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Brian Hickerson was with Panettiere at the time of her death(Image: Getty)

He received a 45-day prison sentence, ultimately completing 33 days, alongside four years of probation, compulsory domestic violence courses and a five-year restraining order.

Despite this, the couple were spotted together once more in July 2021.

During their relationship, Hickerson made his contempt for Vogel abundantly clear, once describing her as "by far one of the worst people I've ever met in my life", adding: "She's terrible."

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