United Kingdom, Aug. 23 -- Hayden Panettiere's estranged mother cut off contact with the actress because of her relationship with Brian Hickerson.

The Heroes star - who passed away last weekend at the age of 36 - had cited the strains of having Lesley Vogel also manage her career for their difficult relationship, her mom has insisted she had to "break away" after growing frustated at the "codependent" bond she had with her on/off partner and their increasing drug use.

Lesley told the Daily Mail online: "When Brian came into her life, the changes started to occur. Very early in the game, I thought he's a modern-day gigolo. I know what he's after.

"I would talk to both of them about it. I would say, 'This is a codependent relationship, a...