Wladimir Klitschko, the Ukrainian boxing star, who shares 11-year-old daughter Kaya with Hayden Panettiere, finally addressed her sudden passing in an emotional Instagram post shared Tuesday morning.
As we previously reported, Panettiere, best known for her breakout role as Claire Bennet on “Heroes” and later as Juliette Barnes on “Nashville,” died Sunday at age 36. She was found unresponsive at an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina, where police say she had been temporarily staying. Officials confirmed she was pronounced dead at the scene after first responders attempted life-saving measures. An autopsy has since been completed, and while a final cause of death is still pending, the Greenville County Coroner’s Office said no signs of trauma were found. Dispatch audio referenced both cardiac arrest and a possible overdose, though nothing official has been confirmed by authorities.
Klitschko and Panettiere’s relationship spanned nearly a decade, on and off, starting back in 2009. They got engaged in 2013, welcomed Kaya in December 2014, and ultimately called things off in 2018, with Panettiere later giving up custody so Kaya could grow up with her father in Europe. Despite the split, the two stayed close, and Panettiere spoke warmly about their bond as recently as this past May, telling Us Weekly she was “so grateful for Wlad.” Now Klitschko is carrying that same warmth into grief. Posting a throwback photo of the three of them together, he opened up by saying his “family is going through a time of profound shock and grief.”
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He went on to say her death saddened him deeply, adding that even though they weren’t together anymore, Hayden was “an important part of my life and the mother of our daughter, Kaya.”
The boxer didn’t hold back on speaking to her legacy either, honoring the highs and lows that came with her career in the spotlight. He also made it clear the years they shared still mean everything to him, writing that nothing could erase “the times we shared or the place she had in our lives.”
But it was the message to their daughter that hit fans the hardest. Klitschko made a promise to Kaya directly, vowing he’ll always speak of her mother “with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was.” He closed out his post extending condolences to Panettiere’s parents, friends, and the fans who grew up watching her, before ending simply: rest easy, Hayden.
Tributes have been pouring in from across Hollywood since news of her death broke, with former co-stars and friends flooding social media with love. Panettiere’s father, Skip, also released his own statement earlier this week, calling his daughter’s passing a “tragic passing” and asking the public to give the family space to grieve privately.
For now, the investigation into her death remains open, and the family, including the daughter she loved fiercely, is left trying to process a loss nobody saw coming.