Wladimir Klitschko, the former fiancé of Hayden Panettiere, paid tribute to the actress on what would have been her 37th birthday.
Klitschko took to Instagram on Friday to honor Panettiere, who died at age 36 on Sunday. The former boxer thanked friends and fans of the Heroes star for their “incredible outpouring of love and support.”
“Today is Hayden’s birthday. Instead of celebrating the way we had planned, today we celebrate her life, her spirit, and the love she brought into this world,” Klitschko wrote about Panettiere, with whom he shared an 11-year-old daughter, Kaya. “I want to thank all of Hayden’s fans, friends, and everyone who has reached out for the incredible outpouring of love and support. At a time filled with so much sadness, your kindness has reminded me that there is still so much good in humanity.”
In the post, Klitschko called on supporters to choose “love” and “reach out” to those who may be in need.
“If you’re reading this, I ask just one thing: even if only for a moment, think about LOVE,” he wrote. “Reach out to a friend. Forgive someone. Be kind. Love is a superpower. Use it.”
“Happy Birthday, Hayden,” he concluded alongside a photo of Panettiere. “You are loved, you are missed, and you will never be forgotten.”
Panettiere and Klitschko dated on and off for several years after meeting in 2009. The pair became engaged in 2013 and welcomed daughter Kaya in December 2014 before splitting four years later.
Panettiere agreed to give Klitschko sole custody of Kaya when their daughter was 3 amid Panettiere’s struggles with postpartum depression and addiction, which she recalled in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, published earlier this year.
On Sunday, Aug. 16, Panettiere was found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest inside an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina. She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to officials. Klitschko shared a statement two days later, acknowledging the family’s “profound shock and grief” over Panettiere’s death.
Recognized for her roles in Heroes, Nashville and the Scream franchise, Panettiere began her career as a child star on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live. She went on to star in a string of hit films, including A Bug’s Life, Remember the Titans, Ice Princess and I Love You, Beth Cooper.
The coroner’s office overseeing Panettiere autopsy indicated in a statement on Monday that there were no signs of trauma found on her body. An official cause of death has not yet been announced.
