Hayden Panettiere relinquished custody of her daughter, Kaya, to her ex-fiance, Wladimir Klitschko. However, recently she has finally reacted to claims that she abandoned her 11-year-old daughter.
Hayden Panettiere is a well-known American actress and singer. She rose to fame as 'Claire Bennet' on NBC's superhero series, Heroes, and as 'Kirby Reed' in the slasher horror franchise, Scream. However, she has recently been in the headlines for allegedly 'abandoning' her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya. Now, the actress has reacted to what happened back then.
Hayden Panettiere recently sat down for a conversation with Jay Shetty on his podcast, On Purpose, on May 11, 2026 (ET). During the conversation, the actress talked about several topics under the sun, including the recent claims about her "abandoning" the 11-year-old when she signed over custody to ex-fiance, Wladimir Klitschko, in 2018 amid struggles with postpartum depression and addiction, which she now alleges that "couldn't be further from the truth."
In a candid chat with Jay Shetty, Hayden Panettiere revealed that she was heartbroken when people she was okay with just gave away her daughter. She called out the trolls, sharing how in past she had sought treatment for her addiction herself, while it was alleged that she was forced to do so.
Hayden Panettiere described herself as a "mother lion" and said she "would have burnt the world down" for her daughter, Kaya. So, when Waldimir thought "it would be best" for Kaya to live in Europe with him while Hayden sought treatment, she had to make a heartbreaking decision. The actress revealed that she made the "incredibly difficult" decision to relinquish custody so that her daughter could have a healthy and stable life. She was quoted as saying:
"The idea that anybody would think that I would just give away my child and be OK with it is heartbreaking...It became this horrible cycle for years of battling depression, anxiety, alcoholism and substance abuse—and me just trying to find my way out of this darkness. 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."
Hayden Panettiere further shared that she now has an "incredible relationship" with Kaya, whom she frequently FaceTimes and visits in Europe. She revealed that her daughter is an incredible little girl, extremely talented, and skilled. She revealed that, while she legally doesn't have any rights, Kaya has two parents who love her and make her feel supported. She was quoted as saying:
"She's an incredible little girl—so happy, speaks five languages and rides horses. She's got two parents who love her, and I know in my heart that she feels supported. She is happy and healthy mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. She in no way feels abandoned—and that's something that I've made sure to stay on top of and be very aware of."
Hayden Panettiere and Wladimir Klitschko first met at a party back in 2008. At the time, the actress was linked to Milo Ventimiglia. However, the duo separated in 2009, after which she began dating Wladimir. After almost two years of being together, the couple parted ways in 2011. However, over a year later, the couple got back together. In 2013, the actress announced she was engaged to the former pro-boxer. In June 2014, they welcomed their daughter. The couple was going strong, that was until 2018, when they parted ways for good.
What are your thoughts on Hayden Panettiere's revelations? Let us know.
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