Wladimir

The hours since actor Hayden Panettiere’s unexpected death over the weekend have proved to be a “time of profound shock and grief” for her ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko and their daughter, the Ukrainian boxing star said on social media.

Klitschko, a multiple-time heavyweight world champion, on Monday evening mourned the “Heroes” star and his former partner in an emotional tribute shared to Instagram. The former pro athlete posted a family photo of himself, Panettiere and their daughter Kaya (whose face is censored by a bright orange dot) all smiles against a cloudy sky. Klitschko wrote that news of the actor’s death “saddens me deeply” and echoed a recurring sentiment expressed in a majority of tributes to Panettiere: “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 said. “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.”

Panettiere, whose career spanned TV, film and video games, died Sunday at age 36, her father announced in a statement. A cause of death was not revealed, but an autopsy Monday found no signs of trauma that would have been a contributing factor. She was found unresponsive at an apartment complex in Greenville, S.C., shortly before 2 p.m. Eastern time after an acquaintance called 911, police said in a statement. Police said a preliminary investigation had not indicated any signs of foul play.

Panettiere and the boxer were in an on-and-off relationship from 2009 to 2018 and were engaged in 2013. The “Nashville” and “Ice Princess” star welcomed their daughter in 2014 but relinquished full custody to Klitschko in 2018. In her past, Panettiere had been outspoken about her struggles with postpartum depression. She previously refuted speculation that she just gave up her child.

“It was the hardest thing I could do,” she said during a 2022 appearance on “Red Table Talk.” “But the best thing for my daughter was to make sure she was OK, take care of myself and make sure I could be a good mom to her. And sometimes that means letting go.”

Klitschko said in his post that he will carry on Panettiere’s legacy at home, while making a promise to Kaya: “I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was.” He concluded his post by sending his condolences to Panettiere’s loved ones and fans. He also asked followers to respect his family’s privacy as they mourn the loss.

He added: “Young and talented people like Hayden should not leave this world so soon.”

Klitschko joins Panettiere’s co-stars and Hollywood peers in paying tribute to her life and career on social media. “Heroes” star Masi Oka said Panettiere was “wiser beyond her years and now gone too soon” while “Nashville” co-star Connie Britton recalled Pannettiere was “bursting with brilliance” during their time on the ABC series.

To Viola Davis, “Custody” co-star Panettiere was a “beautiful Phoenix rising from the ashes.”

WLADIMIR Klitschko has broken his silence following the sudden death of his ex-fiancé Hayden Panettiere.

The beloved US actress, who was nominated for two Golden Globes, died on Sunday, her heartbroken family confirmed.

In a moving tribute posted on Instagram, Wladimir, 50, said: “Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief.

“The announcement of Hayden’s tragic death saddens me deeply.”

The retired Ukrainian boxing champion had a daughter with Hayden during their nine year on-and-off relationship.

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He added: “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.

“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.”

Wladimir met Hayden in 2009 and the pair – who had a 14-year age gap – were later engaged in 2013 but split up in before tying the knot.

Hayden had publicly spoken about her difficulties with mental health and addiction, but had been sober since 2020 after spending weeks in rehab.

A serious bout of postpartum depression led to her giving up custody of her daughter, Kaya, 11, in 2018.

In an interview with parenting outlet Mome published in July, Hayden described the heart-breaking decision.

She said: “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 mum she needed me to be.”

The mother-of-one, who would have turned 37 on Friday, had complained of back pain in the months before her death, sources told TMZ.

Confirming the tragic news, her dad Skip Panettiere said: “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden.

“She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her – and to the millions who watched her on screen.”

Police were reportedly responding to an “incident” involving the actress when they found her, with investigations still ongoing.

Hayden had recently been dating Brian Hickerson in an on-again, off-again relationship.

US media reported both Hayden and Brian, had flown out of Los Angeles on Saturday.

The pair were together from 2018 to 2020 when Hickerson was arrested, convicted and jailed for domestic violence against the actress.

He served only one day of a 45-day jail term and the couple reconnected in 2021.

At the time, Brian said: “We have a long history together, and the first step in my recovery as an abuser is making amends.”

Hayden, born in New York, first hit the screens as an 11-month-old child when her mum took her to star in several TV commercials.

Her first acting gig came when she was four-years-old on the American soap opera One Life to Live.

The diminutive actress would stay in the TV and film industry for her entire life.

Her film debut came at the age of nine, as the narrator and voice of Princess Dot in the 1998 animated Pixar flick A Bug’s Life.

She was nominated for a Young Artist Award and a Grammy Award on the back of the film’s box office success, which made her the fifth-youngest Grammy nominee ever.

Away from Hollywood, Hayden is best known for her leading roles on TV.

She starred in 73 episodes of Emmy-award winning Heroes between 2006 to 2010 as cheerleader Claire Bennet.

Hayden later earned two Golden Globe nominations as Juliette Barnes on Nashville where she featured in 128 episodes from 2012 to 2018.

Hayden also lent her voice to video games including hit series Until Dawn.

Her sudden death comes months after her candid autobiography, This Is Me: A Reckoning, detailed her experiences with postpartum depression, drug addiction and recovery.

In her final interview while promoting the book, Hayden declared she had “a lot more life to live”.

The tell-all book had recently become a New York Times bestseller.