Collin Gosselin Declares Hayden Panettiere's Mom 'Should Have Protected Her' as a Child Star: 'My Heart Breaks For Everything She Went Through'

Jon & Kate Plus Eight's Collin Gosselin mourned fellow child star Hayden Panettiere while proclaiming her mother "should have protected her" from the negative sides of the industry.

Gosselin, 22, has frequently spoken out against the exploitative nature of being a child growing up in the spotlight after starring on the hit TLC reality show with his family.

"I waited to post this because I wanted to sit with it first," he wrote on his Instagram story on August 23. "We lost an incredibly kind, loving and talented human being. My heart breaks for her and everything she went through."

Panettiere died at 36 of a suspected overdose after being found unresponsive in Greenville, S.C. She began acting when she was only 11 months old and rose to stardom as a child in projects including Remember the Titans and Heroes.

"I was groomed. I was like a little soldier and I always have been," she wrote in her May 2026 memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning of her child stardom. "'No' was never an option. It was just, 'Here are your scenes, here's your dialogue, memorize it, hit the marks, do what your director tells you to do.' I took my marching orders.”

Gosselin felt he could relate to Panettiere's childhood as a "little soldier" who lived only to perform.

"While we had very different upbringings, I know what it feels like to be told to smile when you're not happy, to perform when you're running on empty, and to film, no matter what's happening behind the scenes," he explained.

Panettiere's mother, Lesley Vogel, put her into acting and modeling from a very young age, even serving as her manager for many years at the start of her career.

"In my humble opinion, her mother should have protected her," Gosselin declared. "Because while we have laws in place to protect children, we also know how difficult they can be to enforce when the show must go on."

At the end of her life, Panettiere was estranged from her mother.

The actress revealed that she had her first experiences with drugs and alcohol as a teenager, later developing substance abuse issues after welcoming her first and only child, Kaya, in 2014.

In her book, the star explained that her team would give her "happy pills" before red carpets and interviews to keep her performing as expected.

"I didn't ask questions, and she didn't formally seek my consent, but I didn't think twice," Panettiere wrote. "I trusted the people I worked with — especially my team — so I popped the pill in my mouth and swallowed."

"They were the gateway drug that ushered me toward the good of pharmaceuticals and the downfall of addiction," she added.

Gosselin noted that this is a path far too many child stars fall down and encouraged his followers to seek change for children in Hollywood.

"I hope her story encourages people to do the right thing and make the changes necessary to ensure every child in this industry is safe, supported and truly okay — not simply successful, earning and easy to work with," he pleaded.

"We have a long road ahead, but I believe we can do better," he concluded. "All kids deserve that."