Gayle King Criticizes Panettiere's Mom Over Death Comments

Actress Hayden Panettiere has died at the age of 36, and her estranged mother’s public comments about her daughter’s life and death have sparked criticism from television hosts who called the statement an “unseemly” use of a grieving moment. Panettiere was found unresponsive on Sunday, August 16, at a residence in South Carolina. An autopsy revealed no signs of trauma, though the official cause and manner of death remain under investigation by authorities.

Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel, who had been estranged from the actress, issued a statement to NBC News on Tuesday, August 18. In it, Vogel expressed that Panettiere was “an amazingly talented person” who “sadly lost her way.” She also criticized Panettiere’s on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, stating, “This person in her life that we have been trying to get rid of for quite some time was with her at her death.” Vogel suggested her daughter struggled with the pressures of growing up in the entertainment industry and “found the wrong path.”

The statement prompted a sharp reaction on the CBS Mornings broadcast on Wednesday, August 19. Co-anchor Gayle King read Vogel’s comments on-air and responded, “You know,...