Hayden Panettiere has said she “never stopped choosing” her daughter, Kaya, while reflecting on the painful period when she granted full custody to her former partner, Wladimir Klitschko, amid her struggle with postpartum depression.
There is no verified public record confirming reports that Panettiere died; police statements about “no signs of foul play” have not been substantiated by credible official sources.
In 2018, after her split from fiancé Wladimir, now 50, Panettiere revealed she had made the “difficult decision” to sign over full custody of their daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko. The arrangement meant Kaya would live with her father, the former heavyweight boxing champion, in his native Ukraine.
The decision drew widespread attention and came after Panettiere had endured a severe bout of depression, which she previously described as leaving her feeling emotionally numb. She has also spoken candidly about turning to wine during that time and later entering rehab for depression and substance abuse.
Speaking in May to Dear Momé, the actress opened up about the custody arrangement, saying: “It wasn’t a decision I made lightly, nor was it a decision I even wanted to make. I was going through a really challenging time in my life.”
Panettiere also told Jay Shetty on his On Purpose podcast in May that she was the one who recognized how urgently she needed support. “I have been the one who sought it out, who was saying, ‘I desperately need help. I know this is going to look terrible, but I am. I cannot live like this anymore…”
Hayden Panettiere said she “never stopped choosing” her daughter after granting her ex Wladimir Klitschko full custody when Kaya was three, opening up about the decision in an interview years later
In 2018, after her split from fiancé Wladimir Klitschko, now 50, Hayden Panettiere said she had made the “difficult decision” to sign over full custody of their daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, who went to live with her father in Ukraine
The idea that anybody would think that I would just give away my child and be OK with it is heartbreaking. It couldn’t be further from the truth…
‘It became this horrible cycle for years of battling depression and anxiety and alcoholism and substance abuse, and just me trying to find my way back.’
In her chat with Dear Momé about her daughter, saying: ‘I love my daughter, and I’m so proud of the young woman she is becoming. I talk to her all the time, and I feel so connected to her. She’s like a mini-me.’
Discussing the prospect of bringing her daughter back, Hayden insisted that she would not want to take her away from her ‘incredible’ life in Ukraine.
She said: ‘By the time I finally got healthy, I felt like it would have been unfair of me to, and selfish of me to try to pull her out of this life that she had been creating.
On Monday it was announced that Hayden, best known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville, has died aged 36 with police saying there were ‘no signs of foul play’.
The widely-discussed decision came after she fell into a deep depression – which she said made her ‘feel nothing’ – and led to her ‘turning to wine’ and ultimatedly being sent to rehab for both depression and substance abuse
Detectives confirmed to Our News Outlet that they responded on Sunday afternoon to a 911 call from an ‘acquaintance’ of Panettiere, describing her as ‘unresponsive’.
Officers and paramedics headed to the apartment block in Greenville, South Carolina, where they tried to save Panettiere’s life, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police and the local coroner’s office are probing the death, but said the ‘preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances’.
The star and her on-off real estate agent boyfriend Brian Hickerson were said to have flown from Los Angeles to South Carolina, where he is from, one day before she died.
The star began acting as a child, appearing in soap operas then gaining wider recognition for her role in the 2000 sports drama Remember The Titans with Denzel Washington, and as the voice of Dot in Pixar’s 1998 film A Bug’s Life.
Panettiere later found fame playing cheerleader Claire Bennet in the superhero drama Heroes before starring as country singer Juliette Barnes for six seasons on Nashville.
It was announced on Monday that the Heroes actess had passed away aged 36, in the wake of a number of public battles including her substance abuse issues and her rehabilitation for postpartum depression
She tragically stated she ‘felt nothing’ during her battle with depression
She earned two Golden Globe nominations for best supporting actress on the show, while her singing produced 11 entries on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.
Panettiere’s film credits include 2006’s Bring It On: All Or Nothing, comedy-drama film Raising Helen, and appearances in Scream 4 and Scream VI as Kirby Reed.
On Monday, a spokesman for City of Greenville Police told Our News Outlet: ‘On August 16, 2026, at approximately 1.51pm, officers from the Greenville Police Department, accompanied by EMS personnel, responded to a report of an unresponsive female at Judson Mill Lofts, located at 701 Easley Bridge Road.
‘Upon arrival, medical assistance was administered; however, the individual, later identified as Hayden Panettiere, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
‘The case is under investigation by the Greenville Police Department in conjunction with the Greenville County Coroner’s Office.
‘The preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. An acquaintance of Ms Panettiere placed the 911 call. At this time, no further details are available for release.’
Earlier, a representative for Panettiere confirmed the death, saying her family would remember her as an ‘incredible light’ who brought ‘immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her’.
