Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, the 70-year-old said the distance between them was not caused by a lack of love or concern, but rather by the influence of someone she described as “toxic.”
Although Vogel did not identify the person during that interview, she had previously spoken publicly about Hayden’s former boyfriend Brian Hickerson in comments to NBC News, claiming that the family had repeatedly tried to remove him from Hayden’s life without success.
Vogel also revealed that a narcotics investigator had joined the investigation into her daughter’s death, saying the development raised questions that still needed answers.
Hickerson’s attorney, Sloane Ellis, responded by stressing that Panettiere’s death remains under investigation and that authorities should be allowed to complete their work. He also noted that police had not announced any indication of foul play.
Panettiere was found unresponsive inside a home in Greenville, South Carolina, on August 16 and was pronounced dead at the age of 36.
Her mother said she hopes the public remembers Hayden for who she was rather than only for the circumstances surrounding her death, describing her as “an incredible person and a precious gift to the world.”