Hayden Panettiere’s Ex-Fiancé Wladimir Klitschko Vows to Protect Daughter’s Memory of Actress, Says Her Death Came ‘Too Soon’

Lindsay Kimble, Latoya GayleTue, August 18, 2026 at 8:51 AM UTC

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Wladimir Klitschko, Hayden Panettiere and their daughter Kaya; Hayden Panettiere at the amfAR Gala Los Angeles 2022Credit: Wladimir Klitschko/Instagram; Jon Kopaloff/Getty -

Wladimir Klitschko has spoken out about his ex-fiancée Hayden Panettiere’s death

Panettiere and Klitschko share an 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, who primarily lived with her father in Europe

Panettiere was open about her struggles with substance abuse and the heartbreak of signing over full custody of Kaya to Klitschko

Hayden Panettiere‘s ex-fiancé and the father of her only child is mourning her death.

Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko shared a lengthy statement about Panettiere on Instagram following her death on Sunday, Aug. 16. The post included an old photograph of himself alongside the late actress with their now 11-year-old daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, on her shoulders.

“Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief,” he captioned the Aug. 18 Instagram post. “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,” Klitschko, 50, continued of the late actress. “Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives.”

The boxer vowed to protect Kaya’s memory of Panettiere as she will now grow up without a mother.

“To our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was,” he wrote. “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,” Klitschko continued.

He shared a request for their family’s privacy to be respected amid their grieving, while adding that he won’t be speaking publicly any further about Panettiere’s death for now.

Hayden Panettiere with her daughter, KayaCredit: Hayden Panettiere/X

“I ask everyone to please respect our family’s feelings and privacy during this incredibly difficult time. For now, this is all I wish to say. Thank you to everyone who is supporting my family and expressing their sincere condolences,” Klitschko concluded. “Rest easy, Hayden. May you find eternal peace. #WeLoveYouHayden.”

Klitschko had custody of Kaya amid Panettiere’s struggles, and the little girl has primarily resided with her father in Europe over the last few years.

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Wladimir Klitschko and Hayden Panettiere in 20216Credit: Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty

Panettiere’s cause of death has not yet been confirmed, but police officers and EMS personnel responded to reports of an “unresponsive female,” later identified as 36-year-old Panettiere, at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina, at around 1:50 p.m. local time on Aug. 16, the Greenville Police Department previously confirmed to PEOPLE.

According to dispatch audio obtained by PEOPLE, officials were heard discussing an “overdose” and “cardiac arrest” around the time of Panettiere’s death.

The Remember the Titans actress met her ex, Klitschko, who was formerly the heavyweight champion of the world, in 2008, and the pair started dating in 2009.

Panettiere and Klitschko dated on and off for nine years, eventually becoming engaged and welcoming Kaya in December 2014. The couple split up for good in 2018.

Hayden Panettiere and daughter KayaCredit: Hayden Panettiere/X

Panettiere was candid about the 2018 decision for Klitschko to have full custody of Kaya, saying in 2022, “It was very upsetting signing those papers to give him full custody. It was like the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever, ever had to do in my life.”

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in an interview earlier this year, Panettiere reflected on making the custody choice as she sought treatment for alcoholism and substance abuse. Claims she “gave away” her child “couldn’t be farther from the truth,” she said on Jay Shetty’s podcast On Purposeduring the May sit-down.

“That was incredibly difficult. The fact that my child wasn’t going to be with me all day, every day was ... you can’t put words to it. It’s just a really intense feeling or multiple feelings really layered together,” said Panettiere.

Wladimir Klitschko and Hayden Panettiere in 2014Credit: Venturelli/WireImage

And upon the release of her 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, Panettiere grappled with sharing some of the more traumatic parts of her life journey, knowing Kaya will read it.

“I don’t want her ever to read it and think any of it was her fault,” the actress said at a May event when she was asked what she hopes her daughter eventually understands from her book. “I love her so dearly. [It’s a lot for an] 11-year-old to process that. I’ll continue protecting her, especially while she’s young.”

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”