Hayden Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel, condemned CBS host Gayle King and former Fox News reporter Megyn Kelly for criticizing her public grief following the actress’s death at 36, while conflicting accounts of Panettiere’s final hours emerged from police reports and family statements.
Lesley Vogel, Hayden Panettiere’s mom, has publicly criticized CBS Mornings host Gayle King and former Fox News reporter Megyn Kelly for their remarks about her grief after the actress’s death in August 2026. Vogel, who described the media figures’ comments as “shameful” and unconscionable,
alleged they lacked compassion for a mother who had lost two children, including her son Jansen, who died in 2023. I was very, very hurt and deeply disappointed in the lack of professionalism,
Vogel told the Daily Mail, adding, No one reached out to me before.
Conflicting Accounts of Panettiere’s Final Hours
Police reports and family statements have provided conflicting details about Hayden Panettiere’s final moments. According to a redacted report obtained by USA Today, Panettiere was found unresponsive on August 16 at a Greenville, South Carolina, apartment complex. Brian Hickerson, her on-again-off-again boyfriend, and his brother Zach Hickerson were the callers who alerted authorities. Zach Hickerson told TMZ that he and Brian attempted to revive Panettiere with CPR and administered Narcan before emergency services arrived. However, Vogel disputed Hickerson’s account, claiming his version of events had unexplained gaps,
including the presence of Narcan and his assertion that he was asleep during critical moments.
Vogel told the Daily Mail that Hickerson initially told police Panettiere was doing her makeup at 10:30 a.m. before he left to get something. He later returned, took a nap, and did not inform authorities he had seen her before his brother arrived. According to Vogel, Hickerson claimed he found Panettiere unresponsive after Zach knocked on the door. I don’t know how you can take a nap near someone who’s dying and not realize something’s wrong,
she said. When the EMTs came, it was for a cardiac arrest. People in cardiac arrest aren’t just lying still. They make noise.
Vogel’s Blame on Ex-Boyfriend and Industry Struggles
Vogel has repeatedly criticized Brian Hickerson, whom she described as the person in her life that we have been trying to get rid of for quite some time.
She told NBC News that Panettiere “lost her way” amid the challenges of the entertainment industry, a sentiment echoed in her daughter’s memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, which detailed the pressure she faced under Vogel’s management. I think Hayden sadly lost her way and I wish it were different,
Vogel said. I wish she had stayed true to herself because she had many incredible attributes.
Panettiere had previously spoken openly about her strained relationship with her mother, who also served as her manager. In a May interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Panettiere described the emotional toll of writing about their dynamic. Having to touch on everything about my relationship with my mother, that was one of the harder things to talk about,
she said. Page Six reported in May that Vogel had opted for a no-contact route
with Panettiere after 20 years of trauma,
following advice from professionals.
Media Backlash and Calls for Industry Reform
Gayle King’s criticism of Vogel during a CBS Mornings broadcast drew sharp rebukes from the mother, who felt the host had slammed someone who’s lost two children.
King, in a segment on August 19, remarked, You know, guys, you read this and all I can think is, ‘Thanks, mom, for nothing.’
King also highlighted Panettiere’s public struggles, noting, It makes me so sad of the opportunity that you have after your daughter’s death that that’s what you choose to leave us with.
Megyn Kelly, meanwhile, accused Vogel of failing as a parent on The Megyn Kelly Show, stating, You made a bunch of money off of your daughter. You probably have a super nice car and a big house. You failed.
Kelly’s comments intensified the scrutiny on the actress’s personal and professional life. The debate extended beyond Vogel’s statements, with Melissa Gilbert calling for industry-wide reforms to support young performers, citing Panettiere’s death in an essay posted to her Substack.
Unresolved Questions and Ongoing Investigations
Authorities have not accused anyone of wrongdoing in Panettiere’s death, and the cause and manner of her passing remain under investigation by the Greenville Police Department, the Greenville County Coroner’s Office, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Vogel has urged law enforcement to scrutinize Hickerson’s account, asking, What do you think of Brian Hickerson?
during an interview with the Daily Mail. I don’t know how you can take a nap near someone who’s dying and not realize something’s wrong,
she reiterated.
As the investigation continues, the public remains divided over Vogel’s responses and the broader implications for families navigating loss in the public eye. Panettiere’s death has reignited conversations about the pressures faced by young celebrities, with Melissa Gilbert calling for real, substantive change
in how the industry supports child performers. Mental health care is available for corporate, tech, public sector and government workers, but for performers it is only available if one qualifies for health insurance based on earnings,
she wrote in an essay published on Substack.
