Ruby Rose is sharing a deeply personal glimpse into what she says was Hayden Panettiere’s private pain before the actress died at 36. Rose posted screenshots of text messages she says came from Panettiere, with the exchanges focusing in part on the difficult relationship Panettiere had publicly described with her estranged mother, Lesley Vogel.
One screenshot showed a contact saved as “Hayden” telling Rose that she had been crying over her mother’s alleged cruelty. “My god I’m 36 and she can still cause this kind of pain,” the message read, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Entertainment Weekly said it could not independently verify the identity of the person messaging Rose. The outlet had contacted Rose’s team for more information and Vogel for comment when its report was published.
The content nevertheless echoes comments Panettiere made publicly before her death about her relationship with Vogel. In one of her most candid interviews earlier this year, she described ending their professional partnership at 19 because she wanted the woman who had managed her career to simply become her mother again.
Rose Says the Messages Showed How Deeply the Rift Still Hurt
Rose posted two screenshots to Threads on Wednesday, Aug. 19, amid renewed scrutiny of Panettiere’s relationship with her mother following the actress’s death. In one exchange, Rose and the person saved as “Hayden” discussed painful experiences involving their respective mothers.
The response attributed to Panettiere said she had been sobbing over her mother’s alleged “cruelty” and questioned how Vogel could still cause her so much pain. The message also referred to Panettiere being Vogel’s only surviving child. Panettiere’s younger brother, Jansen, died unexpectedly in 2023 at age 28.
A second screenshot revealed a very different kind of conversation. The person Rose identified as Panettiere floated the idea of creating a podcast or Anthony Bourdain-style show that would examine difficult issues and then travel in search of possible solutions.
Rose shared the exchanges while defending her late friend after Vogel began speaking publicly about her daughter. She also emphasized on Threads that Panettiere had been deeply loved by her friends and described her as an “incredible friend.”
Panettiere Had Already Spoken Publicly About Her Mother
Panettiere’s own account of the mother-daughter relationship is well documented. During her May appearance on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast, she said Vogel’s role managing her career had eventually made it difficult to separate their business relationship from their family relationship.
Panettiere said she finally ended their professional partnership at 19 while she was working on Heroes. “I don’t want us to work together anymore. I just want you to be my mom,” she recalled telling Vogel in the original Jay Shetty interview.
According to Panettiere, Vogel responded, “You owe me,” and walked out of her trailer. Panettiere said she initially did not understand what her mother meant but later concluded that the answer involved money. What hurt most, she explained, was that ending their business arrangement did not produce the purely personal mother-daughter relationship she had hoped would replace it.
Their estrangement continued into 2026. Panettiere said while promoting her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, that she and Vogel did not have a relationship at the time, but she had not permanently closed the door on reconciliation if a healthier opportunity eventually presented itself.
Vogel’s Comments After Hayden’s Death Drew Public Criticism
Vogel gave her first interview about Panettiere’s death to NBC News on Aug. 18. She praised her daughter’s talent but also said she believed the pressures of growing up in entertainment contributed to her difficulties. Vogel said Panettiere had “sadly lost her way” and expressed regret that she had not “stayed true to herself.” She also said she believed her daughter was now at peace with Jansen.
The remarks drew public criticism, including from Gayle King and Ruby Rose. Rose’s screenshots appeared amid that backlash and presented what she said was Panettiere’s own private perspective on how painful the fractured relationship remained.
Vogel also criticized Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson in the NBC interview, saying the family had tried to remove him from her daughter’s life. Hickerson had a documented history of domestic violence involving Panettiere, but authorities have not determined that he caused her death.
On Aug. 20, Vogel responded to criticism of her remarks. In a statement reported by PEOPLE, she said her estrangement from Panettiere was “not for lack of care or love” and blamed what she described as a “toxic individual” whom she believed contributed to her daughter’s death. Vogel did not name that person in the statement.