By Variety | Created at 2026-08-18 11:20:23 | Updated at 2026-08-18 14:56:09
5 hours ago
Hayden Panettiere‘s ex Wladimir Klitschko, who is the father of her 11-year-old daughter Kaya, is mourning the actress following her death on Sunday at the age of 36.
In an Instagram post late Monday night, the heavyweight boxing champion wrote that his “family is going through a time of profound shock and grief.”
He continued: “The announcement of Hayden’s tragic death saddens me deeply. She left this world far too soon. Hayden was, although no longer my partner, an important part of my life and the mother of our daughter, Kaya. She built an incredible career through immense talent, while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry. Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives.”
Klitschko and Panettiere dated on and off for nearly a decade beginning in 2009, and were at one point engaged before Panettiere gave birth to their daughter, Kaya, in 2014. Their relationship officially ended in 2018, when Panettiere relinquished custody of Kaya amid struggles with postpartum depression and addiction.
Klitschko added, “To our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was. I extend my deepest condolences to Hayden’s parents, her friends, and her fans, who are also grieving today. Young and talented people like Hayden should not leave this world so soon.”
Panettiere was found unresponsive in her home in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday afternoon. Her death is under investigation by the Greenville Police Department and Coroner’s Office, though there were “not any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.” A cause of death has not yet been released, but People reported that on the dispatch audio, which the outlet obtained, officials could be heard discussing an “overdose” and “cardiac arrest.” An official cause of death will be given following an autopsy.
Panettiere had been open about her struggles with alcohol and drugs over the years, and stepped away from the industry in 2016 before returning in 2023 with “Scream VI.” In May of this year, she published a memoir titled “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” in which she wrote candidly about these struggles and the impact of growing up in Hollywood.
