{"id":7946,"date":"2026-08-19T11:48:59","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T10:48:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thetab.com\/filmshrine\/?p=7946"},"modified":"2026-08-19T11:48:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T10:48:59","slug":"hayden-panettiere-lesley-vogel-family-tried-to-get-rid-boyfriend-brian-hickerson-funeral","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thetab.com\/filmshrine\/2026\/08\/19\/hayden-panettiere-lesley-vogel-family-tried-to-get-rid-boyfriend-brian-hickerson-funeral\/","title":{"rendered":"Hayden Panettiere\u2019s mum says family tried to \u2018get rid\u2019 of boyfriend amid funeral ‘battle’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hayden Panettiere\u2019s mother Lesley Vogel has broken her silence on her daughter\u2019s death and called out boyfriend Brian Hickerson<\/a>, while a separate report claims a \u201cbattle\u201d is brewing over the late star\u2019s funeral.<\/span><\/p>\n

Panettiere died on Sunday, August 16, at age 36, after being found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest at an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The police report said she was with Brain Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, who were at the apartment when emergency responders arrived. There are currently no signs of foul play, while Panettiere’s<\/a> cause and manner of death remain under investigation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, Vogel has spoken publicly about her daughter for the first time since her death, revealing they had not been in contact for months while claiming her family had concerns about Hickerson.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hayden Panettiere\u2019s mum speaks out about Brian Hickerson<\/h2>\n
\"Zach
Credit: Instagram\/Zach Hickerson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Speaking to <\/span>NBC News<\/span><\/a>, Vogel said, \u201cThis 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI 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\u2019s a very challenging industry and it\u2019s not unusual for them to sadly find the wrong path.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think Hayden sadly lost her way and I wish it were different,\u201d Vogel added. \u201cI wish she had stayed true to herself because she had many incredible attributes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hickerson – an aspiring actor and real estate agent – had an on-and-off relationship with Panettiere dating back to 2018, during which he faced multiple allegations of domestic violence involving the actress.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Hayden
Credit: Instagram\/Brian Hickerson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 2019, he was arrested following an alleged domestic violence incident involving Panettiere, although the case was later dismissed. He was arrested again in 2020 and subsequently faced eight charges relating to alleged incidents involving the actress between 2019 and 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n

In April 2021, Hickerson pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail, four years of probation and ordered to attend 52 domestic violence classes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Panettiere and Hickerson later reconciled, with the actress saying in 2023 that he had become sober and their relationship depended on him continuing his recovery.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The actress addressed the relationship in her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, published in May, where she alleged Hickerson had once beaten her so badly that she stayed inside for weeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s part of my story whether I want it to be or not,\u201d she wrote, also expressing that she never wanted to become a \u201cspokesperson for domestic violence\u201d or describe herself as a victim.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By that time, she told reporters that she was single. Hickerson and his brother were with Panettiere at the time of her death<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hayden was estranged from her mother Lesley Vogel before her death<\/h2>\n

The comments about her daughter\u2019s relationship come after Panettiere opened up about her difficult relationship with her mother in This Is Me: A Reckoning.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Vogel, a former actress, had managed Panettiere\u2019s career from childhood, with the Nashville star beginning work before she was even a year old.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking back, Panettiere said the lines between their personal and professional relationships became increasingly blurred, to the point where she came to view her mother as her boss rather than a parent.<\/span><\/p>\n

Speaking about their dynamic on Jay Shetty\u2019s On Purpose podcast in May, Panettiere said \u201ceverything was business\u201d, adding, \u201cI became the confidant and the assistant and the therapist and the shoulder to cry on and everything but her child.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n