Hayden Panettiere and Wladimir Klitschko were an unlikely pair when they first met: the 32-year-old Ukrainian boxer was competing for world heavyweight titles as the actress had just starred in her breakout role in Heroes, aged 18.
Panettiere’s tragic death on Monday prompted an outpouring of grief from fans around the world. A cause of death has not been revealed, but an autopsy showed no signs of trauma.
The star of Scream and Nashville, for which she received two Golden Globe Award nominations, has long been a vocal supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia. Panettiere and Klitschko dated on-and-off for nine years between 2009 and 2018 and they pair had a daughter together, named Kaya.
Follow the latest tributes after Hayden Panettiere’s tragic death here.
Her death has broken the heart of the boxer, who said the family is going through a “time of profound shock and grief” and vowed to ensure their Kaya would “remember the person she was”.
When did their relationship begin?
Panettiere and Klitschko first met at a party in 2008, during the earlier years of the latter’s boxing dominance, and just as the young actress’ breakout show, Heroes, was in its first season.
The pair began dating in 2009, and dated on and off for nine years before breaking it off in 2018.
During that time, they had become engaged in 2013, before purchasing a home together in Nashville, Tennessee, as they planned their wedding.
One year later, they welcomed their daughter, Kaya, into the world, in what Panettiere afterwards revealed was a “traumatic” birth which involved 14 hours of labour and a three hour surgery, according to Page Six.
When did Panettiere start supporting Ukraine?
Despite the breakup, Panettiere remained a passionate advocate of Ukraine.
Following a struggle with depression and addiction, Panettiere lost custody of Kaya, who would move to Ukraine to live with Klitschko in 2018, according to The Hollywood Reporter. By that point, Russia had illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 and separatist forces were fighting Ukrainian troops in the Donbas region.
When Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion in February 2022, Wladimir Klitschko, whose brother Vitalii is the mayor of Kyiv and also a former boxing champion, enlisted in the army. Kaya, the outlet reported, was not in Ukraine from the early days of the war.
Panettiere posted repeated messages of solidarity with Ukraine on Instagram in the years that followed.
“I have personally witnessed the strength of the Ukrainian people who fought so hard for their independence and have continued to passionately defend their country over the years. What Putin is doing is an absolute disgrace!,” she wrote on Instagram shortly after the invasion.
“This horrific moment in history sends a terrifying message: the message that in this day and age, in year 2022, it’s okay to violate the rights of free people and allow autocrats like Putin to take whatever they please,” she added.
In a clear indication of her good relations with Klitschko, Panettiere added that she is “praying for my family and friends” and told people to “look for updates from @klitschko and @vitaliyklitschko”.
‘She was an important part of my life’, says Klitschko
Panettiere’s death has sent shock waves around the world.
Posting to Instagram, Wladimir Klitschko broke his silence on Tuesday morning, the latest in a number of tributes paid to the 36-year-old.
“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.
“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.”
Klitschko added: “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.”
