Gayle King, host of CBS Mornings, voiced strong criticism of Lesley Vogel, the mother of the late actress Hayden Panettiere, following Vogel's public remarks about her daughter. Vogel had described Panettiere as an "amazingly talented person" who "sadly lost her way" in her first public statement since the actress's death.

King responded to Vogel's comments on Wednesday's episode of CBS Mornings, stating, "You know, guys, you read this and all I can think is, 'Thanks, Mom, for nothing.'" She expressed disappointment that Vogel chose to focus on Panettiere's struggles in the wake of her death.

King recalled Panettiere's own candid discussions about her complicated relationship with her mother. "When she was here, Vlad, she told us it was a very complicated relationship with her mom and that it was still a work in progress," King said, referring to co-host Vladimir Duthiers. "And you hear stuff like that and you realize it was still very much in progress. It makes me so sad that of the opportunity that you have after your daughter’s death, that that’s what you choose to leave us with."

Duthiers agreed with King, noting that Panettiere had spent years openly acknowledging her own struggles. "She cannot respond now, and for her mother to use these days after Hayden’s death to just remind the world how much trauma she caused, it’s unseemly," he said.

Lesley Vogel had spoken with NBC News, sharing her perspective on her daughter's life and passing. "I think Hayden was an amazingly talented person in so many departments and I think young people who grow up in the entertainment industry," Vogel stated, "it is a struggle and it’s a very challenging industry and it’s not unusual for them to sadly find the wrong path. I think it becomes very difficult to be true to yourself, and I think Hayden sadly lost her way, and I wish it were different. I wish she had stayed true to herself because she had many incredible attributes."

Vogel also mentioned that her last conversation with her daughter was in October and that they had been texting intermittently. She described her decision for a period of no contact as being for "very specific reasons" and "not for lack of care, concern, love."

Panettiere, who died at age 36, had a history of candidly discussing her strained relationship with her mother. In a previous interview with Us Weekly in May, Panettiere described her mother as having pushed her too hard and acted as her manager, a dynamic she detailed in her memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning." At that time, Panettiere stated they had "no relationship right now" but indicated the door was open for reconciliation.

Panettiere's father, Skip Panettiere, announced her death, describing her as "an incredible light and a force of nature." Authorities in Greenville, South Carolina, responded to a call reporting an unresponsive female, which was later determined to be Panettiere. Officials indicated that lifesaving measures were attempted and that their investigation into her death, which is ongoing, showed no signs of trauma or foul play, with the initial report involving a possible drug overdose.