Hayden Panettiere's Mother, Boyfriend Left Off 150-Guest List For Her Celebration Of Life

Hayden Panettiere died on August 16 at age 36. Her unexpected death sparked numerous conversations about her emotional final moments. TMZ reported on September 14 her official cause of death: a fentanyl-laced oxycodone pill. It seems the "Nashville" star was in the middle of two particularly rocky relationships in the years leading up to her death. Panettiere had troubled relationships with her mother, Lesley Vogel, and her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Zach Hickerson. TMZ confirmed neither invited to Panettiere's celebration of life on September 19, in Malibu.

Hickerson was with Panettiere up until her final moments. Details of their complicated relationship could be found in the actor's memoir, "This is Me: The Reckoning," released in 2026, just months prior to her death. Vogel, on the other hand, hadn't spoken to her daughter for a year before her death. Vogel spoke out on the situation in an interview with "Good Morning America." Vogel expressed concern for her daughter's toxic situation with Hickerson, leading her to stay with Panettiere for a while, but she ultimately left her daughter behind as she felt like she was hitting a wall. "When I got the phone call from her saying, 'I'm going to be with the person I love,' and I just lost it," Vogel said.

Panettiere's father will be in attendance at her celebration of life along with 150 guests. Malibu was chosen as the location of the heartfelt event due to Panettiere's passion for whales and the ocean.

Hayden Panettiere's memoir revealed an ongoing struggle with drugs and alcohol exacerbated by her relationship with Brian Hickerson. In 2019, he was arrested and charged with felony domestic violence due to an altercation with Panettiere. In 2020, he was arrested again, at which point he was charged with injuring a spouse and assault with a deadly weapon. Despite the turmoil, it seems the two had reconciled prior to her death, as they were seen together several times prior. However, when asked about some of the abuse detailed in Panettiere's memoir, Hickerson told TMZ, "She wasn't talking about me, she was talking about her terrible mother."

In her "Good Morning America" interview, Lesley Vogel explained, "At 17, I started seeing [Panettiere] going downhill. As she got older and it wasn't my voice anymore, I wasn't in charge of her choices. I tried to give her the best advice I could." Panettiere's memoir also explored her relationship with Vogel, who used to manage the child star's career. The "Heroes" star suggested her mother was only in it for the money and the two became estranged. Just months before her daughter's death, Vogel responded to her daughter's claims in an exclusive with Page Six. "There is a personality 'style' which manifests as a need for control, entitlement and a lack of empathy," Vogel said, speaking of her daughter. "The major fear is that someone will see through the mask they present to the world and discover who they truthfully are."