Wladimir Klitschko has spoken publicly for the first time since the death of his former fiancée Hayden Panettiere, paying tribute to the actress and making a promise about their 11-year-old daughter that has moved many of those following the story.
Klitschko, the former world heavyweight boxing champion, shared an emotional statement on Instagram alongside a photograph of himself, Panettiere and Kaya. He described the family as being in "a time of profound shock and grief" and said the news of her death had saddened him deeply.
"She left this world far too soon," he wrote. "Hayden was, although no longer my partner, an important part of my life and the mother of our daughter, Kaya."
The 50-year-old also reflected on the dual nature of Panettiere's life, acknowledging both her considerable talent and the very real difficulties she faced away from the cameras. "She built an incredible career through immense talent, while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry," he said. "Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives."
Klitschko has had primary custody of Kaya since 2018, when Panettiere made the painful decision to step back from day-to-day parenting while she sought treatment for alcoholism and substance abuse. She spoke about the decision openly in the months before her death, pushing back against suggestions she had simply "given away" her daughter.
"That couldn't be farther from the truth," she said on Jay Shetty's On Purpose podcast earlier this year. "The fact that my child wasn't going to be with me all day, every day was... you can't put words to it."
She had also expressed concern about how Kaya might one day interpret the revelations in her memoir, published just months before her death. "I don't want her ever to read it and think any of it was her fault," she said. "I love her so dearly."
Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances of Panettiere's death. She was found unresponsive at a Greenville, South Carolina residence on August 16. An autopsy found no signs of trauma. The official cause of death remains pending toxicology results.
Klitschko closed his statement with a request for privacy and a final message to Panettiere: "Rest easy, Hayden. May you find eternal peace."
His vow regarding their daughter: "To our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was."
