Wladimir Klitschko Speaks Out on Hayden Panettiere's Death and Pledges to Keep Her Memory Alive for Their Daughter

Wladimir Klitschko has spoken publicly for the first time about the death of Hayden Panettiere, the actress he was engaged to and with whom he shares a daughter.

In a social media post on 18 August 2026, Klitschko wrote that Panettiere's death saddens him deeply and that she left the world far too soon, according to Deadline. He also pledged to always speak of Panettiere with respect to their daughter Kaya, and to ensure she remembers the person her mother was.

Panettiere died on a Sunday at age 36, as confirmed by her father, Skip Panettiere, in a statement: "It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden" (AP News).

Klitschko and Panettiere were together on and off from 2008 to 2018, according to Deadline. They became engaged in 2013. Their daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, was born in 2014 (InStyle).

Panettiere was known to audiences for starring in the NBC series Heroes, a role she landed at 16. She later starred in the country-music drama Nashville. Her career began early, but behind it she also faced well-documented struggles. According to Deadline, her addiction began at age 15 when she was given what she described as "happy pills."

After Kaya's birth in 2014, Panettiere experienced postpartum depression, which she spoke about publicly. In 2018, while battling addiction, she sent Kaya to Ukraine for what she believed was a visit. Klitschko, who lives in Ukraine, then sought full custody of the then-2-year-old, citing worries about her being in Panettiere's care (USA Today). Panettiere revealed the full-custody story on Red Table Talk in 2022 (Deadline).

Despite the split and the custody dispute, the relationship between the two did not end in bitterness. In 2022, Panettiere wished Klitschko a happy birthday on social media, calling him a "wonderful man" (Deadline). Before her death, she had also expressed hopes for their 11-year-old daughter Kaya (E! News via Facebook).

Hours before Panettiere's death, Klitschko had shared a message about resilience on social media, Yahoo Sports reported. The timing was noted by outlets but no connection between the two events has been established.

Panettiere is survived by Kaya, whom she shared with Klitschko, the former heavyweight boxing champion who lost his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO titles to Britain's Tyson Fury (AP News).

Klitschko's post now stands as his first public words on her passing — a promise from a father to a daughter that her mother will not be forgotten.