‘Toxic individual led to her death’: Hayden Panettiere’s mother says she tried to get Brian Hickerson out of her life

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Hayden Panettiere's mother Lesley Vogel has revealed her estrangement from her daughter was due to the influence of a toxic individual who, in her opinion, contributed to her daughter's death. Panettiere tragically passed away at the age of 36 on August 16, and her death is currently under investigation. Both the police and the Drug Enforcement Administration have joined the probe.

Vogel had previously named Brian Hickerson, Panettiere's on-again, off-again boyfriend, as the person she was trying to distance herself from. In a subsequent NBC News interview, she confirmed that Hickerson was present at her daughter's death. Speaking about her daughter, Vogel expressed her wish that Hayden had stayed true to herself.

Hickerson, Panettiere's boyfriend at the time of her death, issued a statement through his attorney, Sloan Ellis, who requested that the investigation be allowed to proceed. There were no signs of foul play, according to the police, and the cause of death has not been established publicly. Panettiere and Hickerson had been together during the time of her death, which occurred in South Carolina.

The couple's relationship had previously drawn public attention due to Hickerson's history of domestic violence. Panettiere, renowned for her roles in Heroes, Nashville, and the Scream franchise, was born on August 21, 1989, and died just days before her 37th birthday.