Gayle King has hit out at Hayden Panettiere’s estranged mom’s comments following the actress’ death.
The Heroes‘ actress passed away on Sunday, August 16, 2026, at the age of 36 and Lesley Vogel subsequently reflected on how her daughter had “sadly lost her way” and told how she wished she had “stayed true to herself because she had many incredible attributes.”
Reading out the remarks, Gayle added on CBS Mornings, “You know, guys, you read this and all I can think is, ‘Thanks, Mom, for nothing.’”
Vladimir Duthiers added, “I mean, Hayden Panettiere spent years publicly acknowledging her own failures, her own struggles. She did it with you in that interview. She cannot respond now, and for her mother to use these days after Hayden’s death to just remind the world just how much trauma she caused, it’s unseemly.”
Gayle also pointed out the Nashville star’s previous comments about having a complicated relationship with her mom, who was Hayden’s manager until she was 19 and stated, “You hear stuff like that and you realise it was still very much [a work] in progress.”
“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 further said.
Kelly O’Grady added “we would all agree” if Vogel had “stopped at ‘she’s amazing and she’s talented.’” To which Vladimir stated, “You would hope a mother’s instinct is just mourn your daughter.”
Praising Hayden’s dad, Skip Panettiere’s statement about her death, with Gayle saying, ““Follow the lead of your partner, the father of her child.”
In an interview with NBC News conducted two days after her daughter’s death, Lesley described Hayden as “an amazingly talented person in so many departments,” also mentioning, “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.”
Hayden remained close to her father, and it was him who broke the news of her death.
He said in a statement through her representative, “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her – and to the millions who watched her onscreen.”
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