Hayden Panettiere's Mother Seen Publicly Following Daughter's Memorial

Lesley Vogel, the mother of late actress Hayden Panettiere, has been photographed publicly for the first time since she was unable to attend her daughter's memorial service last month. Vogel, 70, was seen raking leaves in her South Carolina yard and later walking in a park.

Vogel and Panettiere, who died on August 16 at age 36 from an accidental overdose of multiple drugs including fentanyl, were reportedly estranged at the time of the actress's death. The actress's father, Skip Panettiere, attended the memorial service, but Vogel was absent.

Initially, reports suggested Vogel was not invited to the Malibu memorial. However, a source close to Vogel told TMZ that she had received an invitation but could not attend due to a "family emergency."

The memorial service, held at Malibu Pacific Church, was attended by approximately 150 friends and former co-stars, including "Nashville" alums Connie Britton and Charles Esten. Paris Hilton, Evan Ross, and Ruby Rose were also among the attendees.

Panettiere's on-and-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother Zach, who were present at the South Carolina residence where Panettiere died, were reportedly not invited to the event. Sources close to the Hickerson brothers indicated they understood the sensitivity surrounding the service and did not challenge the decision to exclude them.

According to a Greenville Police Department report, Zach Hickerson told police that Brian Hickerson was asleep in another room of the Airbnb when he found Panettiere unresponsive. He stated that Brian administered Narcan, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, and that they performed CPR while on the phone with 911 dispatchers. Investigators are reportedly looking into the possibility that Panettiere was sold drugs that contributed to her death.

Panettiere's death was officially ruled accidental, resulting from the toxic effects of multiple drugs, including fentanyl. An autopsy revealed no signs of trauma that would have contributed to her death. Panettiere had a tumultuous relationship with Hickerson, who had faced multiple domestic violence charges related to incidents involving the actress. In 2021, he pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend.