Sylvia Jefferies, who played Hayden Panettiere's mother on the television show "Nashville," has spoken about the late actress's personal struggles following her death. Jefferies shared her reflections on Instagram, describing Panettiere as "our tornado" but acknowledging that her "inner demons were at times too much to bear."
"This hits deep. I’ve had to take the day to let the idea that Hayden is not with us, wash over me," Jefferies wrote on Monday. She described Panettiere as someone who "had an incredibly bright future ahead of her."
Jefferies, 57, noted a period of reconnection with the "Heroes" alum earlier in the year after reading Panettiere's memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning." They had reportedly made plans to see each other.
"I shoot straight from the hip. At times, Hayden was not easy to be around," Jefferies stated. "I remember calling her a downright tornado. But she was our tornado."
She further elaborated on Panettiere's personality with a metaphor: "The sun that appears, the light mist that begins, the rain that gets heavier, the swirling of everything around her, and then the gentle tapering rain returns, along with the calm and sun and light in her eyes, and the giggle in her voice."
Jefferies also shared intimate memories, including the first time Panettiere called her "Mama" while recounting stories from her youth. "We seemed far apart, but we were very close in our hearts," she wrote.