Gayle King Criticizes Hayden Panettiere’s Mother After Actress’s Death

Gayle King and her CBS Mornings colleagues criticized remarks made by Hayden Panettiere’s estranged mother following the actress’s death.

During the Wednesday, Aug. 19, broadcast of CBS Mornings, King discussed comments made by Lesley Vogel about her daughter. Panettiere, known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville, was found unresponsive at a home in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday, Aug. 16. She was 36.

Vogel spoke with NBC News two days after her daughter’s death. She described Panettiere as “an amazingly talented person in so many departments,” but also said the actress had “sadly lost her way.”

“I wish she had stayed true to herself because she had many incredible attributes,” Vogel said.

King read part of the interview on CBS Mornings before sharing her reaction.

“You know, guys, you read this and all I can think is, ‘Thanks, Mom, for nothing,’” King said.

Co-host Vladimir Duthiers was also critical of Vogel’s comments. He noted that Panettiere had openly discussed her struggles and personal difficulties throughout her career.

“Hayden Panettiere spent years publicly acknowledging her own failures, her own struggles,” Duthiers said. “She cannot respond now, and for her mother to use these days after Hayden’s death to just remind the world just how much trauma she caused, it’s unseemly.”

King pointed to Panettiere’s previous comments about having a complicated relationship with her mother. The actress had discussed their strained relationship in her May 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, as well as in an interview connected to the book.

“You hear stuff like that and you realize it was still very much [a work] in progress,” King said.

Kelly O’Grady added that the conversation might have been different if Vogel had simply focused on her daughter’s positive qualities.

“We would all agree” if Vogel had stopped at saying that Panettiere was “amazing and talented,” O’Grady said.

Duthiers agreed, saying, “You would hope a mother’s instinct is just mourn your daughter.”

King also suggested that Vogel could have followed the example set by Panettiere’s father, Alan “Skip” Panettiere.

“Follow the lead of your partner, the father of her child,” King said.

Skip Panettiere announced his daughter’s death on Sunday, describing her as “an incredible light and a force of nature” who brought “immeasurable love and joy” to those around her.

Vogel also spoke about the challenges faced by young people who grow up in the entertainment industry. She said that working in show business from a young age can make it difficult for performers to remain grounded.

Panettiere began working as an actress when she was just 8 months old. In her memoir, she described how her mother’s roles as both parent and manager became increasingly difficult to separate as she grew older.

Despite their strained relationship, Panettiere said in May that she remained open to reconciliation.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have a relationship right now,” she told Us Weekly. “But that doesn’t mean that I don’t leave the door open for the opportunity to present itself one day.”

Vogel also said she believed her daughter was now “with her brother and they’re at peace,” referring to Jansen Panettiere, who died unexpectedly in 2023 at age 28.

Panettiere’s death has brought renewed attention to the difficult personal experiences she discussed publicly in the final years of her life, including her struggles with addiction, mental health and family relationships.