What To Know
- Lesley Vogel, mother of Hayden and Jansen Panettiere, criticized Gayle King and Megyn Kelly for their harsh public comments following the deaths of her two children.
- Vogel expressed deep hurt over what she described as a lack of compassion and professionalism from media figures.
- Gayle King and Megyn Kelly publicly questioned Vogel’s parenting and statements after Hayden’s death.
Hayden Panettiere‘s mom, Lesley Vogel, slammed Gayle King‘s criticism following the deaths of her two kids.
In an interview with the Daily Mail published on Saturday, August 22, Vogel responded to remarks from CBS Mornings host, former Fox News reporter Megyn Kelly, and others. Hayden died at 36 on August 16; Vogel’s son, Jansen Panettiere, died at 28 in 2023.
“But this is not the time for me to be weak,” Vogel said. “I don’t have the luxury right now of being weak. I have too much to do for Hayden. When I’m done with that, then I will give myself the luxury to mourn — deeply mourn. I’m not saying I’m not grieving now. I am, and I do have my moments. But the bigger picture right now is I have to stay strong. I don’t have an option.”
The bereaved mother continued, “I was very, very hurt and deeply disappointed in the lack of professionalism, the lack of compassion in slamming someone who’s lost two children, without even a modicum of consideration. No one reached out to me before. It’s shameful. It’s unconscionable to me.”
On August 18, Vogel broke her silence following Hayden’s death in a statement shared with NBC News.
“I think it becomes very difficult to be true to yourself and I think Hayden sadly lost her way and I wish it were different,” she said. “I wish she had stayed true to herself because she had many incredible attributes.” She added, “I just feel that she’s with her brother and they’re at peace.”
The following day, on August 19, King responded to the comment, telling her fellow CBS Mornings hosts, “You know, guys, you read this, and all I think is, ‘Thanks, Mom, for nothing.’”
Her co-host, Vladimir Duthiers, pointed out, “I mean, Hayden Panettiere spent years publicly acknowledging her own failures, her own struggles. 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.”
Additionally, King recounted how Hayden confirmed that her relationship with her mother was “complicated” during a May CBS Mornings interview.
“You hear stuff like that, and you realize it was still very much in progress,” King said. “It makes me so sad that, of the opportunity that you have after your daughter’s death, that’s what you choose to leave us with.”
Meanwhile, Kelly declared that Vogel “got an F as a parent” on The Megyn Kelly Show. She said, “You made a bunch of money off of your daughter. You probably have a super nice car and a big house. You failed. You raised someone to the age of majority who doesn’t feel safe, loved, or cherished. You’re a loser.”