August 2008 was no doubt a particularly tough time for the Panettiere family as Hayden Panettiere’s dad, Alan Panettiere, was arrested for alleged domestic violence against her mom, Lesley Vogel. The two were involved in a physical altercation at their home that took place after Hayden hosted a charity event, with Sgt. Scott Wolf telling People of Alan, “He’s been cooperative. Earlier, they were at a party and the husband apparently felt disrespected by his wife.” TMZ reported in January 2009 that Alan was sentenced to 24 months probation, forced to pay fines of $400, and had to attend domestic violence counselling.
Speaking about the incident to Seventeen in July 2009, Hayden said, “I don’t know that I dealt with it any specific way. I mean, it’s hard enough going through it personally within your family, let alone when the entire world knows about it.” She added that she felt the whole thing looked different to the public than how it actually was, claiming, “It put my dad in this light that is so not him. You know your mind goes to: ‘He abuses, he beats his wife.’ For my dad to have that reputation now — which is so not who he is — kills me.”
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If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.