Hayden Panettiere's mum explains why Wladimir Klitschko took over full custody of daughter
Hayden Panettiere's estranged mother has revealed what she believes the 'catalyst' was that led her to give up custody of her daughter.
The 36-year-old actress who was famed for her roles in Scream, Heroes and Nashville was sadly found dead on 16 August. Her cause of death currently remains unclear.
As tributes continue to pour in for Panettiere, her mother Lesley Vogel has spoken out about their strained relationship, their lack of communication and how she believes her daughter 'sadly lost her way'.
Famous faces who had an early start in the entertainment industry similarly to Panettiere have been speaking out about the lack of protection child stars receive, including Anna Paquin.
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Others have called out the treatment that the late actress was subjected to in her younger years by 'predatory' photographers, while previous comments made by the star herself have also resurfaced.
The mother-of-one claimed in 2022 that she had been given 'happy pills' before red carpet appearances - and each of these elements have prompted fans to probe the people who were around her at the time.
On Monday (24 August), British singer James Blunt addressed rumours alleging that he might have been the 'very famous undressed man' who Panettiere claimed she was 'put in bed with' at the age of 18.
In an interview just months before her untimely death, Scream star Panettiere alleged that 'somebody she had grown to trust' and saw as 'a protector' put her into this precarious situation.
In a post shared on X, Blunt shared an eyes emoji alongside a link to an article from former entertainment journalist Dean Piper, which attempted to dismantle the claims made about him online in recent days.
Vogel discusses her daughter's 'demons'
In the eyes of her mother Vogel, her daughter's volatile romantic relationship with her former partner Brian Hickerson - who is believed to be one of the last people to see her alive - has a lot to do with the 'demons' she fought.
During an interview with ABC News, the former momager, 70, hit out at people criticising how she 'mourns the loss of her second child' and said she has been left 'numb' by the news of Panettiere's passing.
"I still am not grasping this is real," Vogel said. "It just doesn't feel real. My mind tells me it's not at times. You know, it's going to be a process."
Vogel stated that her daughter had 'a very happy life up until she got Heroes at 16', suggesting she 'started seeing her going downhill' the year after she bagged this role.
Discussing how Panettiere asked her to no longer manage her career at the age of 19, she went on: "As she got older, then it wasn't my voice anymore. I wasn't in charge of her choices.
"I tried to give her the best advice I could, but again, you know, any young person, teen, they want to be liberated. And I get that. I did get that."
However, Vogel - who also lost her son Jansen in 2023 - disputed the authenticity of her daughter's account of a conversation they had about this in her memoir that was released this year.
She insisted that she responded by saying 'nothing', rather than sniping back with 'you owe me' as Panettiere had claimed in This Is Me: A Reckoning.
Vogel went on to discuss the actress stepping into the role of a mother herself following the birth of her daughter Kaya in 2014, who she shares with former boxer Wladimir Klitschko.
Why Panettiere gave up custody of Kaya
Panettiere previously opened up about experiencing a traumatic birth and her subsequent struggle with postpartum depression, which led to substance and alcohol abuse.
The screen star said it was an 'incredibly difficult' decision to give Klitschko full custody, but believed it was one that was best for Kaya, who is now 11.
She explained that she realised how stressful it was for the youngster to travel back and forth between the US and Ukraine, which is where her famous father is based.
Saying that Kaya has a 'beautiful life' with Klitschko, Panettiere wrote in her book that their mother-daughter bond was still 'incredibly strong' despite the distance.
"Not being under the same roof with her every day has been the most gut-wrenching experience of my life," she said. "It’s hard to describe the layers of emotion - including sadness, resentment, and anger - I’ve felt because of it."
“I grieve that I’m not the mother I thought I’d be and definitely not the mother I want to be (trust me, no one should ever have to raise a child on FaceTime)," she continued.
"And although I miss Kaya so much my heart aches, I know how blessed I am to be her mom. "She is the greatest gift of my life, with all the best parts of her father and me.”
According to Vogel, this tender time was the 'catalyst' that caused Panettiere to grow even closer to her on-off boyfriend Hickerson.
"The situation with Hayden and Vlad and their daughter...that was a very difficult period for her," she said. "Vlad had taken over custody, you know, for safety.
"In my opinion, that was the catalyst that she just couldn't keep those demons away. I think she struggled and...Brian came into her life. She was vulnerable."
Vogel alleged that her daughter knew that Hickerson 'was toxic' and that 'she had to get him out of her life', before claiming that he later was 'successful in reeling her back in'.
Hickerson's brother Zach shared a statement with TMZ on Friday (21 August) in regards to the 'assumptions, speculations and accusations currently swirling' in wake of Panettiere's passing.
It said in part: "The truth will come out as the authorities complete and release additional details from the investigation. And that is important because the people who loved and adored Hayden deserve the truth.
"At this time, I want to clarify my involvement in effort to keep the focus on the fact that we lost one of the most precious individuals on this earth and to allow those that cared about her to mourn without additional noise, chaos, and misinformation being created and propagated by the media as well as the public."
Topics: Hayden Panettiere, Parenting, Celebrity News
Olivia Burke