Wladimir Klitschko has filed an “urgent” petition to protect the inheritance of his 11-year-old daughter Kaya after the death of her mother, Hayden Panettiere. The former fiancé of the Heroes star, who died aged 36 last month from an accidental overdose of several drugs including fentanyl, is seeking full legal status as temporary guardian of her estate.
Klitschko seeks guardianship of estate
Klitschko, the Ukrainian former world champion boxer, has had full custody of Kaya for most of her life due to Panettiere’s substance abuse issues, and she has lived with him in Ukraine. Kaya is Panettiere’s sole heir.
In a filing in a Los Angeles county court, Klitschko said unnamed and unauthorized people have been entering Panettiere’s Los Angeles home, and there is a “high probability” of her belongings being “lost or damaged”. The documents also cite items seized in a federal investigation of Panettiere’s death and valuables that are missing.
Risks to estate property
“Without an immediate appointment for these purposes, there is a high probability that property belonging to Hayden’s estate may be lost, damaged or dissipated before a duly appointed personal representative can be in place to protect it,” the filing says.
Klitschko’s legal team filed the petition on Thursday, and it became publicly known on Monday when reported by TMZ. It stressed that Klitschko’s only intention is to protect Kaya’s future assets until a permanent administrator can be put in place.
Federal agents have taken Panettiere’s property in an investigation, and there is no authorized person to liaise with them and assure its return, according to the filing. Before her death, Panettiere and Klitschko had hired security to protect her home because an unnamed person had gained unauthorized access, the documents stated. It is believed the same person will continue to try to “misappropriate” property belonging to Panettiere.
Hearing scheduled and background
A hearing has been scheduled for October 8. Panettiere died of an accidental overdose involving fentanyl and the anti-anxiety medication Alprazolam, Greenville County’s coroner’s office ruled earlier this month. She also had a muscle relaxer and antipsychotic medication used to treat major depression and other serious mental health disorders in her system.
The Nashville star dated Klitschko from 2009 to 2018, and they welcomed Kaya in 2014. She made the “heartbreaking” decision to give him full custody of Kaya in 2018 amid her struggles, which she discussed in her 2026 memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning.
After her death, Klitschko shared an emotional statement on Instagram, writing: “Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief. 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.”
