Ukrainian former world heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko knew actress Hayden Panettiere better than most people. From 2009 to 2018 (with a small break around 2012), Klitschko and Panettiere were more than partners; they were engaged and had a daughter together in 2014.
Due to her battles with addiction and postpartum depression, Hayden Panettiere gave Klitschko full custody of their daughter in 2018. She reportedly visited her daughter frequently, and the couple maintained a positive co-parenting relationship.
On August 16, the 36-year-old Panettiere passed away in an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina. When resuscitation attempts failed, emergency responders declared her dead at the scene. An autopsy conducted the next day by the Greenville County coroner’s office revealed “no signs of trauma,” according to police, and preliminary investigations revealed no evidence of foul play.
A 911 call from inside the house claiming she had suffered “cardiac arrest” was made public, and police reportedly suspected Panettiere may have overdosed. However, the official statement from the Coroner’s office stated that “the cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies.”
On Tuesday, alongside a photograph of himself with Hayden Panettiere and their daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, now 11-years-old, perched on her shoulders as a toddler, Wladimir Klitschko shared his thoughts on Panettiere’s death.
“Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief,” he wrote.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“Rest easy, Hayden. May you find eternal peace. #WeLoveYouHayden.”