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As millions of fans try to make sense of the tragic death of Hayden Panettiere, the late actress’ mother has made some shocking remarks about her controversial boyfriend.
As we previously reported, Hayden and Brian Hickerson claimed that they’d broken up in 2022, but it appears that they were secretly still dating at the time of her death.
Now, Hayden’s mom, Lesley Vogel, is confirming reports that the family did not approve of that relationship.
“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,” Vogel told NBC News this week.
Vogel did not explicitly suggest that Hickerson was involved in her daughter’s death in any way.
But much has been made of the fact that Hayden flew from LA to South Carolina with Brian the day before her death, and she passed away in an apartment being rented to him and his brother, Zach Hickerson.
According to TMZ, witnesses say Zach became “very emotional” while emergency medical services professionals were “working on Hayden.”
Investigators have noted that there was no sign of foul play, and neither Brian nor Zach has been accused of any wrongdoing.
It’s worth noting that the feud between Brian and Lesley predates Hayden’s death by at least several months.
“Hayden’s mother is by far one of the worst people I’ve ever met in my life … I just can’t with her. She’s terrible,” he told TMZ during an interview in May.
Vogel concluded her comments by suggesting that Hollywood may have been to blame for many of the addiction and mental health issues Hayden struggled with throughout her life.
“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,” she told NBC.
Hayden found success early on with her roles on Guiding Light and Heroes. But fame took a toll, as it does on many young stars.
A co-star on Hayden’s final film described her as seeming “lonely” and troubled. And while she had been open about her struggles with substance abuse, fans were under the impression that the worst was behind her.
Sadly, it seems that that may not have been the case. We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
