Gayle King Slams Hayden Panettiere's Mom's Statement

Gayle King expressed significant disappointment with a statement released by Lesley Vogel, the mother of the recently deceased Hayden Panettiere. Vogel's comments, read live on "CBS Mornings," focused on how child stardom negatively impacted her estranged daughter and included veiled criticism of Panettiere's boyfriend, Brian Hickerson.

King described Vogel's statement as a "huge missed opportunity," lamenting that it was what the mother chose to share after her daughter's passing. The "CBS Mornings" co-hosts agreed that Vogel should have offered a more compassionate message, contrasting it with the heartfelt tribute from Panettiere's father, Skip Panettiere.

Vladimir Duthiers, a co-host, called Vogel's post-death remarks "unseemly," noting that she used the period after her daughter's death to "remind the world just how much trauma" she had caused. Panettiere and Vogel had a notoriously difficult relationship, which the actress detailed in her memoir "This Is Me: A Reckoning."

Vogel had previously criticized the book as a "money grab" when Panettiere was promoting it. Panettiere had responded at the time, stating her mother's comments shut the door on any potential reconciliation. Brian Hickerson also previously described Vogel as "the worst."

Hayden Panettiere died on Sunday in an apartment she shared with Hickerson. Police are currently investigating her death to determine if any criminal elements were involved.