Hayden Panettiere, the actress who died on Monday (August 17) aged 36, was a familiar face at ringside during Wladimir Klitschko's heavyweight heyday, cheering on the former champion.
A Decade-Long Romance
The Heroes and Nashville star first met Klitschko at a book launch in 2009, beginning a relationship that lasted nearly a decade. After a brief split due to the distance between Ukraine and Hollywood, they reunited in 2013, became engaged, and welcomed their daughter Kaya in 2014.
Panettiere was often spotted supporting Klitschko as he faced some of the greatest heavyweights of his era. She joked on LIVE with Kelly and Michael about the cameras frequently focusing on her reactions: "You know what, I've learned that none of my reactions can change what's gonna happen in the ring."
Support Through Defeat and Personal Struggles
She was also there when Klitschko lost convincingly to Tyson Fury, with photos showing the heartbroken champion being embraced by Panettiere. Around that time, she described dating the "2.0 version" of the Ukrainian and said it "wouldn't shock" her if he were the father of her future children.
In 2018, the couple split again. That year, Panettiere made the "heartbreaking" decision to give full custody of Kaya to Klitschko, citing her struggles with post-partum depression and addiction. She explained: "It wasn't a decision I made lightly, nor was it a decision I even wanted to make. I was going through a really challenging time in my life…I knew I needed to be able to put her first so that I could get the help I needed and be the mom she needed me to be."
Custody and Memoir Revelations
In her memoir, released in May, she recalled Klitschko presenting her with custody papers during a visit to Kyiv, saying he was "worried" about Kaya when she was with her. She wrote: "Not being under the same roof with her every day has been the most gut-wrenching experience of my life, and it’s hard to describe the layers of emotion - including sadness, resentment, and anger – I’ve felt because of it. Trust me, no one should ever have to raise a child on FaceTime, and although I miss Kaya so much my heart aches, I know how blessed I am to be her mom. She is the greatest gift of my life, with all the best parts of her father and me, and, today, I believe I have the opportunity to be a different kind of parent than most."
In her final interview before her death, with parenting outlet Mome, she described Kaya as her "mini-me" and added: "I love my daughter, and I'm so proud of the young woman she is becoming. I talk to her all the time, and I feel so connected to her."
