NEWSHayden Panettiere’s Mom Believes Her 'Loser' Boyfriend Brian Hickerson Is a 'Modern-Day Gigolo' After Her Death: 'He Did a Lot of Things'
Hayden Panettiere’s mom, Lesley Vogel, claimed her late daughter's life changed drastically when Brian Hickerson came into the picture.
Aug. 22 2026, Updated 5:32 p.m. ET
Hayden Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel, had some choice words to say about her late daughter's on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson.
Days after the Nashville star passed away on August 16 at the age of 36, the talent manager, 70, claimed "loser" Hickerson, 37, had a deep "codependent bond" with Panettiere.
'Changes' Occurred When Hayden Panettiere and Brian Hickerson Started Dating
Brian Hickerson was with Hayden Panettiere at the time of her death on August 16.
"[Their bond] was much more powerful than people realized," Vogel told Daily Mail in an interview published on Saturday, August 22.
"When Brian came into her life, the changes started to occur," she claimed. "Very early in the game, I thought he's a modern-day gigolo. I know what he's after."
Hayden Panettiere and Brian Hickerson Were 'Codependent' on Each Other
Lesley Vogel believed Hayden Panettiere and Brian Hickerson had an unhealthy relationship.
Vogel noted Hickerson and the Ice Princess star's relationship started to get rocky when drugs became a large part of their lives.
"I would talk to both of them about it," she recalled. "I would say, 'This is a codependent relationship, and it is not healthy for either of you.'"
"My sadness is that everything that I did, her father [Skip] did, friends did, business people did — we could not break that codependent bond. It is so much more powerful than people understand," Vogel sighed.
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Hayden Panettiere Died on August 16 in South Carolina
Hayden Panettiere suffered with alcohol and opioid addictions throughout her life.
Panettiere and Hickerson dated on and off from 2018 until her death earlier this month. The "Wake-Up Call" singer was found unresponsive at a South Carolina residence and the 911 dispatch call noted she suffered from an apparent cardiac arrest and had a suspected overdose.
Hickerson and his brother, Zach, were with the actress at the time of her passing, with a Narcan bottle also being discovered at the home.
The Scream 6 alum previously shared she endured both alcohol and opioid addictions throughout her life, and also experienced postpartum depression after giving birth to her daughter, Kaya, in 2014.
Lesley Vogel Alluded to Brian Hickerson Being 'Toxic'
Lesley Vogel claimed Brian Hickerson depended on Hayden Panettiere for cash.
Vogel further bashed Hickerson in her interview, alleging he had "no career" and "no money," as her daughter financially supported him. "I know he put pressure on. I know he threatened. I know he did a lot of things," the former soap opera actress added.
In recent days, Vogel continued to criticize Hickerson and the contentious relationship he had with Panettiere.
“Although my daughter and I were estranged, it was not for lack of care or love,” she told Entertainment Tonight on August 20. “It was due to the involvement of a toxic individual who I believe led to her death.”
On August 18, she shared a statement with NBC News, stating: “This person in her life that we have been trying to get rid of for quite some time was with her at her death and that was Brian Hickerson."
The South Carolina native has been arrested several times over the years on charges such as domestic violence and felony assault.
