Hayden Panettiere's mother, Lesley Vogel, has broken her silence following the actress's death at age 36, sharing her hopes for how her daughter will be remembered and detailing their complex relationship.

Vogel described the moment she heard the news of her daughter's passing on August 16, stating she was "numb" and still struggling to grasp the reality of the situation. Panettiere, known for her roles in "Heroes" and "Nashville," was found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina. First responders attempted resuscitation, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Speaking in an ABC News exclusive, Vogel expressed a desire for Panettiere to be remembered as "the talented, you know, beautiful, outgoing, intelligent woman she really was." She also addressed potential critics, asserting their right to mourn her daughter as she sees fit, calling them "haters" and stating, "they don’t have a right to tell me how to mourn the loss of my second child, that’s my domain."

The actress's death follows the loss of her brother, Jansen Panettiere, in 2023, who the family stated died from an enlarged heart. This dual tragedy weighs heavily on Vogel, who also noted that Hayden's death came months after the actress publicly discussed her challenging relationship with her mother, who had served as her childhood acting coach and manager.

In a May interview with ABC News, Hayden Panettiere had described her efforts to maintain a relationship with her mother as "tough." She explained at the time, "Over the years, I've tried to leave that door open, hoping that the relationship would evolve into a healthy mother-daughter relationship, and it's obvious that that's just not going to be the case."

Vogel acknowledged the evolving dynamic as Panettiere grew older. She recalled that her daughter's life took a difficult turn around age 17, after landing the "Heroes" role at 16. "Until then Panettiere had lived ‘a very happy life,’ Vogel said, adding, ‘but I would say at about 17, I started seeing her going downhill.’"

As Panettiere matured, Vogel noted, "it wasn’t my voice anymore. I wasn’t in charge of her choices. I tried to give her the best advice I could, but again, you know, any young person, teen, come on, they want to be liberated. And I get that. I did get that!"

Hayden Panettiere had been open about her struggles, including postpartum depression, addiction, recovery, and domestic abuse, detailed in her May memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning." The book includes an account where Panettiere informed her mother at age 19 that she no longer wished to be managed.