Wladimir Klitschko has spoken out following news of the death of actress Hayden Panettiere, his former partner and mother to their daughter, Kaya.
“Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief,” the former boxing world champion posted on Instagram early Tuesday, adding to reactions from around the world. “Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief.”
Klitschko said the news of Hayden’s sudden death at 36 “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.”
Panettiere and Klitschko met in 2009 and became a couple. They initially split in 2011, but later reconciled and got engaged in 2013. Their daughter, Kaya, was born in December 2014. When Kaya was 3, Klitschko asked Panettiere to sign papers granting him sole custody. Panettiere and Klitschko never married. Their engagement was called off and they separated for good in 2018.
Klitschko on Tuesday posted a photo of himself with Panettiere holding their young daughter Kaya, with the girl’s face obscured.
“She built an incredible career through immense talent, while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry,” Klitschko wrote. “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.”
Panettiere, a Golden Globe-nominated actress known for her roles on shows such as Heroes and Nashville, died on Sunday. She was 36. A child actor who had been in the spotlight most of her life, Panettiere struggled with alcohol and drug addiction, and with postpartum depression after Kaya’s birth, as outlined in her raw and candid memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, published in May.
The coroner’s office overseeing her autopsy released a statement on Monday indicating that there were no signs of trauma found on her body.
“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,” Klitschko wrote in his statement, asking the public 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.”
