Actress Hayden Panettiere has died at the age of 36. She leaves behind her daughter, 11-year-old Kaya, whom she had with professional boxer Vladimir Klitschko. However, she gave up custody of her daughter, and there was one heartbreaking reason behind it.
Actor Hayden Panettiere has died at the age of 36. He father, Skip Panettiere, said in a statement that she was an “incredible light.”
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden, Skip Panettiere said in a statement.
“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 onscreen.”
Hayden Panettiere began her life in show business at four years old, appearing in the cast of the popular US soap opera One Life to Live. She did many roles as a child actor, gaining wider recognition when she starred alongside Denzel Washington in the 2000 sports drama Remember the Titans.
Later, she rose to wider fame starring as the cheerleader Claire Bennet in cult sci-fi series Heroes. The show ran from 2006 to 2010.
Hayden Panettiere dead at 36
Moreover, her role as country singer Juliette Barnes in TV series Nashville earned her two Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress.
Earlier this year, in her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, Hayde Penattiere recalled the struggles growing up as a child actor, as well as the experiences she later faced with addiction, abuse, and recovery.
In May, speaking with CBS News, she recalled how her mother dragged along her “eight-month-old baby into audition rooms.”
“It went from there and progressed into 50 commercials by the time I was five… It just never stopped,” Hayden explained.
Panettiere is survived by her daughter, Kaya, with her ex-partner, Ukrainian former world heavyweight champion boxer Wladimir Klitschko.
The reason why Hayden Panettiere gave up custody of daughter Kaya
Hayden Panettiere is survived by her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya. After she was born, the actress suffered from postpartum depression as well as struggled with addiction.
On Jay Shetty’s podcast On Purpose, Panettiere spoke about the devastating decision of allowing Kaya’s father, Klitchko, to regain full custody of their daughter.
“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,” she wrote in her 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,” Panettiere continued. “She is the greatest gift of my life, with all the best parts of her father and me.”
The now-late actress added, “She didn’t ask to be born into the limelight or my chaos, and she didn’t get to choose her parents. I want her to have every choice that I didn’t, including the ability to live a private life.”
Rest in peace, Hayden Panettiere.
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