Wladimir Klitschko, the former fiancé of Hayden Panettiere, has taken what he describes as an urgent legal step to safeguard their daughter Kaya’s inheritance, following concerns that the late actress’s belongings could be vulnerable after her death.
Panettiere died at the age of 36 on August 16 at a home in Greenville, South Carolina. Her death was ruled accidental and was attributed to the toxic effects of several substances, including fentanyl.
Her only surviving heir is Kaya, 11, the daughter she shared with Klitschko, 50, during their nine-year relationship.
When Kaya was three, Panettiere transferred full custody to Klitschko in 2018 while facing struggles with postpartum depression and addiction. The former heavyweight champion subsequently took their daughter to live in his native Ukraine.
Klitschko has now petitioned a Los Angeles court to become the temporary guardian of Kaya’s estate. The filing is intended to protect her inheritance, reportedly valued at $6 million, and to help ensure Panettiere’s personal belongings are recovered once the investigation into her death is complete.
According to documents obtained by The Daily Mail, the filing states: “Kaya is a US citizen, residing abroad with her father, Wladimir. Hayden, a US citizen and resident of California, died intestate on August 16, 2026.”
The petition argues that California courts have authority over Kaya’s estate despite her living outside the state because she is Panettiere’s heir and is entitled to all assets handled through the actress’s California probate proceedings.
Hayden Panettiere’s former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko is seeking temporary guardianship of their daughter Kaya’s estate as concerns grow over the security of the late actress’s property
Panettiere gave Klitschko full custody of Kaya in 2018 while dealing with postpartum depression and addiction, after which he moved their young daughter to Ukraine
The legal documents say the arrangement would allow Klitschko to “receive, manage and hold, on Kaya’s behalf,” the assets she is due to inherit from Panettiere’s probate estate.
Klitschko also said that no personal representative had been appointed to protect the interests of Panettiere’s estate.
The petition alleges that extra security precautions had already been introduced at Panettiere’s home before her death after an unidentified person “gained unauthorized access to Hayden’s property.”
The locks were replaced, while storage units holding designer clothing and accessories worn by Panettiere at public events were moved as a precaution, the documents state.
The filing further claims that, despite those measures, the individual is expected to continue attempting to take or improperly use property belonging to Panettiere’s estate.
Klitschko said he had been told that some of Panettiere’s personal possessions, including jewelry, were missing or had not been accounted for.
The documents add that law enforcement currently holds some items as part of the ongoing investigation. They say an estate administrator is needed to locate missing assets and coordinate with investigators.
Klitschko’s petition also alleges that federal agents entered Panettiere’s home during the investigation and removed some of her belongings.
Klitschko filed the petition last week seeking temporary guardianship of Kaya’s estate, aiming to protect her inheritance as the sole beneficiary of Panettiere’s reported $6 million fortune and recover the actress’s possessions
The filing says Klitschko was informed that personal belongings belonging to Panettiere, including jewelry, had gone missing or could not be located
“It is urgent and essential that Wladimir be immediately appointed Temporary Guardian of Kaya’s Estate,” the filing states. It says the appointment would give him the standing to submit Panettiere’s probate petition and the authority to nominate a proposed administrator for her estate.
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‘Without an immediate appointment for these purposes, there is a high probability that property belonging to Hayden’s Estate may be lost, damaged or dissipated before a duly appointed personal representative can be in place to protect it.’
The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Klitschko and Panettiere for comment.
The former couple met at a book launch in 2009. After two years of dating, they split up in 2011, before rekindling their relationship two years later.
In October 2013, they were engaged, with the actress giving birth to their daughter, Kaya, the following December. However, it was confirmed in 2018 that the couple had split again but remained on amicable terms.
Later that year, Panettiere announced she had made the ‘difficult decision’ to sign full custody of Kaya to her ex.
The widely discussed move came after Panettiere fell into a deep depression, which she said made her ‘feel nothing’, and led to her ‘turning to wine’ and ultimately being sent to rehab for both depression and substance abuse.
Panettiere’s on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson (above together) and his brother, Zach, were both at the scene when the actress was pronounced dead
In her final interview in May, she spoke to Dear Mome about her choice, saying: ‘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.’
Panettiere began acting as a child, appearing in soap operas, then gained wider recognition for her role in the 2000 sports drama Remember the Titans with Denzel Washington, and as the voice of Dot in Pixar’s 1998 film A Bug’s Life.
Panettiere later found fame playing cheerleader Claire Bennet in the superhero drama Heroes before starring as country singer Juliette Barnes for six seasons on Nashville.
She earned two Golden Globe nominations for best supporting actress on the show, while her singing produced 11 entries on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.
Panettiere’s film credits include 2006’s Bring It On: All or Nothing, the comedy-drama film Raising Helen, and appearances in Scream 4 and Scream VI as Kirby Reed.
Last week, Panettiere’s cause of death was confirmed by the Greenville County Coroner’s Office.
A spokesman told The Daily Mail: ‘The cause of death has been ruled as toxic effects of fentanyl, 4-ANPP, Alprazolam, Methocarbamol and Quetiapine. The manner of death has been ruled an accident.
Panettiere is remembered for her role as Claire Bennet on the hit NBC series Heroes
She played Juliette Barnes on the ABC show Nashville, releasing a number of her own songs
‘This case is administratively closed by the Greenville County Coroner’s Office.’
Methocarbamol is a prescription muscle relaxant used to treat short-term muscle pain, while Quetiapine, commonly known by the brand name Seroquel, is an antipsychotic prescription medication used to treat conditions including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder.
Alprazolam, known as Xanax, is used to treat anxiety and panic disorders and 4-ANPP is a chemical used as a main building block to make illegal fentanyl.
Panettiere’s on-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother, Zach, were both at the scene when the actress was pronounced dead. An investigation into her death is ongoing.