Jon Blistein
Contact Jon Blistein by Email View all posts by Jon Blistein August 18, 2026
Wladimir Klitschko and Hayden Panettiere in 2013. Jemal Countess/Getty Images Hayden Panettiere’s former partner, Wladimir Klitschko, issued a statement following the actress’ sudden death over the weekend, writing, “Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief.”
Klitschko, a former Ukrainian boxing champion, and Panettiere met in 2009 and spent much of the 2010s together. In 2014, the couple had a daughter, Kaya, and though they were engaged, they never got married. Panettiere and Klitschko separated in 2018, and while Klitschko got sole custody of Kaya, she and Panettiere maintained a relationship.
In his post, Klitschko shared a photo of himself and Panettiere, with Kaya on her shoulders. 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.”
Klitschko went on to say that, when he spoke with Kaya about Panettiere, he would “always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was.” And to Panettiere’s family, friends, and fans, he expressed his “deepest condolences.”
“Young and talented people like Hayden should not leave this world so soon,” Klitschko wrote, adding: “Rest easy, Hayden. May you find eternal peace.”
