Gayle King recently addressed the public comments made by Lesley Vogel, the estranged mother of the late actress Hayden Panettiere. Following Panettiere’s death this past Sunday, Vogel provided a statement to NBC News regarding her daughter’s life and struggles.
On a recent broadcast of CBS Mornings, King and her co-anchors discussed the statement. King expressed her reaction to the remarks, noting that she expected more support and grace during such a difficult time for the family. The segment focused on the nature of the relationship between mother and daughter, which Panettiere had previously described as complex.
Panettiere was open about her personal challenges throughout her life and during her career. Duthiers, one of the co-anchors on the program, emphasized that it is unseemly to use the days following a death to highlight perceived failures or character flaws. The hosts agreed that the situation reflects a missed opportunity for a mother to honor the life and achievements of her child.
This public disagreement highlights a broader tension regarding how families navigate grief and the privacy of the deceased. While others have shared tributes and shared memories of the actress, these particular remarks from Vogel have drawn specific criticism from those who knew Panettiere professionally.