Hayden Panettiere’s mother speaks out, criticises daughter's ex Brian Hickerson who was with her when she died

In a phone interview, Lesley Vogel reflected on Panettiere’s life and career and slammed her on-and-off boyfriend

Hayden Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel, has criticised the actress’s on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson following her daughter’s death at 36.

In a phone interview with NBC News, Vogel reflected on Panettiere’s life and career, saying, “I think Hayden was an amazingly talented person in so many departments and I think young people who grow up in the entertainment industry — it is a struggle and it’s a very challenging industry and it’s not unusual for them to sadly find the wrong path.”

Vogel also addressed Hickerson’s presence when Panettiere died, saying, “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.”

She added, “There is a lot of history in the past that Brian has enabled Hayden many times and this is why her father and I had been concerned for a long time about him.”

Hickerson previously criticised Vogel during a May interview with TMZ, saying: “Hayden’s mother is by far one of the worst people I’ve ever met in my life … I just can’t with her. She’s terrible.”

Panettiere died on Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina, days before her 37th birthday.

The Greenville County Coroner’s Office said first responders found her in cardiac arrest and attempted resuscitation, but the efforts were unsuccessful.

An autopsy found no signs of trauma that contributed to her death.

The coroner’s office said the cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and additional studies.

Panettiere is survived by her 11-year-old daughter, whom she shared with former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko.