Hayden Panettiere’s ex-fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko, has broken his silence following her sudden death.
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In his latest Facebook post, Klitschko mourned the loss of Panetttiere, with whom he shared a daughter, Kaya. The post featured the former couple with their daughter in a heartwarming family photo.
“Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief,” he wrote. “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.”
Klitschko went on to praise his former fiancée, stating she had 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.,” he pointed out.
Klitschko vowed to speak to Kaya about 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,” he continued. “Young and talented people like Hayden should not leave this world so soon. I ask everyone to please respect our family’s feelings and privacy during this incredibly difficult time. For now, this is all I wish to say.”
The Ukrainian boxer then added, “Thank you to everyone who is supporting my family and expressing their sincere condolences. Rest easy, Hayden. May you find eternal peace.”
He concluded the post with the hashtag #WeLoveYouHayden.
Panettiere suddenly passed away on Sunday in South Carolina. She was 36 years old.
The Former Couple Were First Romantically Linked in 2009
Panettiere and Klitschko were first romantically linked after meeting a book launch for Diana Jenkins in 2009.
Following their first breakup in 2011, the couple rekindled their romance in 2013 and announced their engagement later that year. In late 2014, Panettiere and Klitschko welcomed their daughter, Kaya.
In 2018, it was revealed that Panettiere and Klitschko had ended their relationship and focused on co-parenting their daughter. Panettiere later gave up custody of Kaya as she focused on her battle with postpartum depression and addiction.
Kaya has been living with Klitschko in Ukraine since she was 2 years old.
While appearing on Jay Shetty’s podcast On Purpose earlier this year, Panettiere opened up about her decision to give up custody of Kaya.
“I mean, the idea that anybody would think that I would just give away my child and be okay with it is heartbreaking,” she said. “Couldn’t be farther from the truth.”
Panettiere referred to herself as a “mother lion,” noting she would have “burnt the whole world down” for Kaya. After giving up custody, she and Klitschko decided that it was best for Kaya to live in Ukraine.
“That was incredibly difficult,” she pointed out. “Regarding her daughter. The fact that my child wasn’t going to be with me all day, every day was… you can’t put words to it. It’s just a really intense feeling or multiple feelings really layered together.”
Panettiere noted that Kaya had built a life in Ukraine and she didn’t want to disrupt that. “So by the time I finally got healthy, I felt like it would have been unfair of me to, and selfish of me to try to pull her out of this life that she had been [creating], this life that she had been living. An incredible life.”
She added that Kaya was “so happy” in Ukraine.