"I wish she had stayed true to herself": Hayden Panettiere's estranged mom speaks out on daughter's struggles after her death at 36

Hayden Panettiere's estranged mother, Lesley Vogel, is now commenting on the death of her daughter by reminiscing about the difficulties the actress faced all through her life.

Lesley Vogel, who had been estranged from Hayden Panettiere prior to her death, gave an interview to NBC News on Tuesday, Aug. 18, days after the tragic death of the actress at the age of 36.

She referred to the late actress as one of the most talented people ever while discussing the problems that come along with being a performer.

Lesley Vogel said she believed Hayden Panettiere had "lost her way" and expressed regret that her daughter had struggled to remain true to herself.

"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."

Lesley Vogel also spoke about her belief that Hayden Panettiere is now at peace with her younger brother, Jansen, who passed away unexpectedly in 2023 at age 28.

"I just feel that she’s with her brother and they're at peace."

Hayden and Jansen Panettiere's parents are Lesley Vogel, a former daytime soap opera actress and producer, and Alan Lee "Skip" Panettiere, a retired captain in the New York City Fire Department (FDNY).

The couple divorced in 2012 after 25 years of marriage.

Hayden Panettiere on complicated relationship with mother Lesley Vogel: "Everything but her child"

The late celebrity had been open about her turbulent and estranged relationship with her mother before her death.

In her May 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, the actress discussed aspects of her family life and her relationship with Vogel, who managed her career when she was a child.

During her appearance on On Purpose with Jay Shetty, Panettiere opened up about starting in the industry at only 8 months old, adding that, as she got older, her mother's roles as her mother and manager gradually became blurry.

"Everything was business. I became the confidant and the assistant and the therapist and the shoulder to cry on and everything but her child."

When she booted out Vogel as her manager, with the purpose of solely nurturing their bond as mother and daughter, Vogel didn't take it well.

"I said to her, 'I don’t want us to work together anymore. I just want you to be my mom ... I remember being hopeful. The fact that she didn't care to have a relationship with me was a tough pill to swallow."

Hayden Panettiere rose to fame as a child actress before becoming internationally known for her role as Claire Bennet on the NBC series Heroes. She later starred as Juliette Barnes on Nashville and appeared in films including Ice Princess and Scream 4.

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Her death has prompted tributes from former co-stars and colleagues, including Heroes cast members who remembered her talent and personality.

Sendhil Ramamurthy, who played Dr. Mohinder Suresh on the series, recently described Panettiere as a generous performer who knew crew members by name and stood up for background actors when she felt they were being treated unfairly.

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