Even after their breakup, Hayden Panettiere and Wladimir Klitschko made a significant effort to co-parent their daughter Kaya.
When the Remember the Titans actress passed away on Aug. 16, the Ukrainian boxer expressed their family’s “profound shock and grief.”
Deeply saddened by her tragic death, Klitschko wrote on Instagram on Aug. 18 alongside a throwback photo of the former couple smiling with their daughter, “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.”
Reflecting on how Panettiere “built an incredible career through immense talent, while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry,” he emphasized, “Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives.”
A place Klitschko vows to keep in their 11-year-old’s memory. “To our daughter Kaya,” the 50-year-old added, “I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was.”
Expressing his condolences and how “young and talented people like Hayden should not leave this world so soon,” Klitschko concluded, “Rest easy, Hayden. May you find eternal peace.”
