Gayle King calls out Hayden Panettiere’s mom after her death: Here’s whats going on

Gayle King is speaking candidly about comments made by Hayden Panettiere’s estranged mother, Lesley Vogel, following the actress’s sudden death at age 36. During the Aug. 19 episode of CBS Mornings, King and her co-hosts discussed Vogel’s first public remarks about her daughter’s death. 

King took issue with the focus of the comments, particularly Vogel’s statements that Panettiere had “lost her way” and struggled to remain true to herself. “You know, guys, you read this and all I can think is, ‘Thanks, Mom, for nothing,’” King said on the broadcast.

King later explained why the comments troubled her so much. “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,” she said.

The reaction comes just days after Panettiere, known for Heroes, Nashville, Remember the Titans and the Scream franchise, died on Sunday, Aug. 16. She was 36. Authorities found the actress unresponsive at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina, and she was pronounced dead. As of Aug. 19, an official cause of death had not been released.

What Hayden Panettiere’s Mother Said After Her Death

Vogel spoke to NBC News by phone on Aug. 18, two days after her daughter’s death. She began by describing Panettiere as “an amazingly talented person in so many departments,” before discussing the pressures young performers can face in Hollywood.

Vogel said growing up in entertainment can be a “struggle” and a “very challenging industry,” adding that young stars can sometimes “sadly find the wrong path.” 

She then addressed her daughter more directly. “I think it becomes very difficult to be true to yourself, and I think Hayden sadly lost her way,” Vogel said. She added that she wished things had been different and that her daughter had remained true to herself. 

Vogel also reflected on the 2023 death of Panettiere’s younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, who died at age 28. “I just feel that she’s with her brother and they’re at peace,” Vogel said. 

Those remarks quickly became the focus of the CBS Mornings conversation.

Why Gayle King Criticized Lesley Vogel’s Comments

King was not alone in questioning the tone of Vogel’s statement. CBS News correspondent Vladimir Duthiers noted that Panettiere had already spent years publicly discussing her mistakes and personal struggles. He argued that because the actress could no longer respond, revisiting her trauma so soon after her death felt “unseemly.” 

Kelly O’Grady similarly suggested Vogel’s statement might have landed differently had she stopped after praising her daughter’s talent. King also contrasted Vogel’s comments with the statement released by Panettiere’s father, Alan “Skip” Panettiere. “Follow the lead of your partner, the father of her child,” King said. 

Alan announced his daughter’s death in a statement through her representative, remembering her as “an incredible light and a force of nature” who brought enormous joy to the people who knew her and those who watched her work. 

Hayden Panettiere and Her Mother Had a Complicated Relationship

The public exchange carries additional weight because Panettiere had recently spoken openly about her estrangement from Vogel. In her May 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, and subsequent interviews, Panettiere described the difficulties of having her mother serve as both a parent and manager during her childhood acting career.

Panettiere began working as a baby, and she said the boundaries between family and business became increasingly difficult to separate as she grew older. 

During an appearance on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast, Panettiere said of that period, “Everything was business.” She described feeling like a confidant, assistant and therapist to her mother rather than simply her child. 

Panettiere also recalled trying to end their professional partnership when she was 19. “I don’t want us to work together anymore. I just want you to be my mom,” Panettiere recalled telling Vogel. According to Panettiere, her mother responded, “You owe me.” 

Vogel publicly disputed aspects of her daughter’s account around the memoir’s release and confirmed the two were estranged. Despite their fractured relationship, Panettiere had not completely ruled out reconciliation.

In May, she told Us Weekly that she and her mother did not have a relationship at the time, but said she was leaving “the door open” in case an opportunity to reconnect eventually presented itself. 

Gayle King Had Interviewed Hayden Panettiere Months Before Her Death

King’s reaction also comes from a particularly personal vantage point. She interviewed Panettiere on CBS Mornings in May, only about three months before the actress died. Following news of Panettiere’s death, King reflected on that interview during the Aug. 17 broadcast. “It was hard when she was here that day,” King said. She explained that Panettiere told her off-camera that she felt she was in a good place, although King came away believing the actress was “clearly still struggling.” 

King described news of Panettiere’s death as “heartbreaking” and said she “felt so, so sad” when she learned what had happened. 

What Has Been Reported About Hayden Panettiere’s Death?

Panettiere was found unresponsive on Aug. 16 in Greenville, South Carolina. Dispatch audio referenced an apparent “overdose” and “cardiac arrest,” but authorities had not announced an official cause of death as of Aug. 19. A police spokesperson said the preliminary investigation had found no indications of foul play or suspicious circumstances. 

Vogel also discussed Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson in her NBC News interview, saying she and Panettiere’s father had been concerned about him for years. Hickerson previously pleaded no contest in 2021 to two felony counts of injuring a partner related to a 2020 arrest involving Panettiere. 

Gayle King’s Comments Put the Focus Back on Hayden Panettiere

King’s criticism ultimately centered on how Panettiere should be remembered in the immediate aftermath of her death. Panettiere had spent much of the final months of her life discussing her past with unusual openness, including the complicated realities of childhood fame, addiction and her relationships with her family.

King thought that given the opportunity to publicly remember a daughter who could no longer speak for herself, why focus on where she went wrong? “That’s what you choose to leave us with,” King said, making clear that, in her view, Panettiere deserved a different kind of farewell.