The late actress welcomed her daughter with her then-fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko, in December 2014
Credit: Hayden Panettiere/X
Hayden Panettiere was a mom of one when she died at the age of 36 on Aug. 16.
Known for her roles in Remember the Titans, Heroes, Nashville and Scream, the late actress welcomed her daughter, Kaya, with her then-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko in December 2014. The former couple broke up four years later, with Panettiere eventually allowing Klitschko to have full custody of their daughter amid her struggles with mental health and substance abuse.
After Klitschko gained full custody, he relocated to Ukraine with Kaya. Despite living apart, Panettiere later wrote that she had an “incredibly strong” relationship with her daughter in her 2026 memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning.
“My daughter, Kaya, has lived with her dad, Wladimir Klitschko, since 2018,” 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.”
Ahead, look back at five sweet snapshots of Panettiere and Klitschko with their daughter, Kaya.
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Panettiere and her daughter in June 2017
Credit: Hayden Panettiere/X
The most recent photo that Panettiere shared on X of her and her daughter dates back to June 2017. The following year, Klitschko gained full custody of Kaya.
The actress captioned the post with two emojis and the hashtag #Mommy.
She later shared more details about her and her daughter’s long-distance relationship in her 2026 memoir.
“I grieve that I’m not the mother I thought I’d be and definitely not the mother I want to be (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 wrote. “She is the greatest gift of my life, with all the best parts of her father and me.”
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Panettiere and her daughter in March 2017
Credit: Hayden Panettiere/X
In March 2017, Panettiere shared another sweet photo of her and her daughter on X.
“Best feeling in the whole wide world! #Love,” she wrote.
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Panettiere and her daughter in the summer of 2016
Credit: Hayden Panettiere Twitter
Panettiere took a trip to Europe with Kaya in the summer of 2016 and shared one candid snapshot of her and her mini-me on X.
“Me. Stuck somewhere between clueless and Russian,” she wrote. “Let it out girl!”
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Klitschko, Panettiere and Kaya in July 2016
Credit: Hayden Panettiere/X
Panettiere was photographed in New York without her engagement ring in July 2016. When rumors of a split surfaced, she shut them down with a family selfie on X.
“Missing rings don’t mean the end of relationships,” she wrote. “Blessed to be with my beautiful family.”
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Klitschko and Kaya in March 2016
Credit: Hayden Panettiere/X
In March 2016, Panettiere posted a sweet photo of Klitschko and Kaya on the beach.
“The loves of my life ❤️ @Klitschko,” she wrote on X alongside the snapshot.
The former couple remained amicable following their split in 2018. In 2026, Panettiere called Klitschko an “amazing father” and a “wonderful human being” in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.
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