Hayden Panettiere's mother has questioned the account of her daughter's final hours as investigators continue trying to establish what caused the Heroes and Nashville actor's death at 36.

Lesley Vogel, 70, said she has doubts about the timeline surrounding Hayden's death on August 16 at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina.

Hayden's on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson, 37, and his brother Zach Hickerson were at the property when she was found unresponsive, according to a police report.

Authorities have said there were no signs of trauma or foul play, and an official cause and manner of death have not yet been determined.

According to Lesley's account to the Daily Mail, Brian told police he left the property at about 10.30am while Hayden was doing her makeup, later returned and went to sleep.

Lesley aded she believes the account is "full of holes".

She said: "I don't know how you can take a nap near someone who's dying and not realize something's wrong. When the EMTs came it was for a cardiac arrest. People in cardiac arrest aren't just lying still. They make noise."

Lesley also claimed she believes Brian "knew she was deceased" and "called his brother and… built this story".

No evidence establishing that allegation has been made public, and police have not accused Brian or Zach of involvement in Hayden's death.

The Greenville police report confirms that Brian and Zach were present and involved in the emergency response.

An officer arriving at the property saw firefighters and emergency medical personnel performing CPR on Hayden.

The officer reported there appeared to be no obvious physical reason for her to be unresponsive.

Zach has separately given TMZ his account of what happened.

He said: "I knocked loudly which apparently woke Brian up from a nap they were both taking on the pull out couch bed in the living room. When we went in and tried to wake Hayden up for lunch, we realised she was unconscious.

"I immediately called 911 and Brian gave her Narcan. We then jointly performed CPR while 911 was on speaker until Fire and EMS arrived. At that point, we watched as they tried every measure possible to save her life."

Lesley questioned that account, including the presence of Narcan at the property.

She said: "I do not believe he happened to have two bottles of Narcan on him, like he carried them around in his back pocket. I think there will be a discrepancy in the timeline, meaning Brian had to go out and buy the Narcan while he left her there."

That claim has not been established by investigators.

Emergency radio communications included a reference to an "overdose", but officials have not determined that an overdose caused Hayden's death.

Toxicology testing remains pending.

Brian's lawyer, Sloan Ellis, declined to respond specifically to Lesley's allegations and referred Page Six to a previously released statement.

Sloan said: "Hayden's death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed. As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play.

"Out of respect for Hayden's loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time."

Hayden's death has prompted renewed attention to the actor's relationship with Brian, which she discussed in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, published in May.

The book detailed her experiences of child stardom, addiction, postpartum depression and abuse.

It became an instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller.

Brian previously pleaded no contest in 2021 to two felony counts relating to domestic violence against Hayden. In an interview earlier this year, he publicly acknowledged having abused her.

Hayden was best known for playing cheerleader Claire Bennet in NBC's Heroes, whose regenerative powers produced the show's famous "Save the cheerleader, save the world" storyline.

She later starred as country singer Juliette Barnes in Nashville, earning two Golden Globe nominations, and appeared in Remember the Titans and the Scream franchise.

Tributes have continued since her death.

Nashville co-star Charles Esten dedicated his song Somewhere in the Sunshine to Hayden during an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday (22.08.26) and remembered her as a "bright, shining light".

Jonathan Jackson, who played Hayden's on-screen husband Avery Barkley in Nashville, has also remembered his former colleague as being "like our own sister".

Lesley has meanwhile spoken publicly about the estrangement between herself and Hayden.

In an interview broadcast on Good Morning America on Monday (24.08.26), she discussed losing both Hayden and her son Jansen Panettiere, who died aged 28 in 2023.

Lesley had previously said of her relationship with Hayden: "Although my daughter and I were estranged, it was not for lack of care or love. It was due to the involvement of a toxic individual who I believe led to her death."

Authorities have not supported that allegation.

The Greenville County investigation into Hayden's death remains ongoing while officials await the results of toxicology testing.