Full Breakdown
Hayden Panettiere Explains Giving Full Custody of Daughter Kaya to Ex-Fiancé Wladimir Klitschko
7/20/2026, 10:11:02 PM
Giving Full Custody to Wladimir Klitschko
In her 2023 memoir *This Is Me: A Reckoning*, actress Hayden Panettiere details why she transferred full legal custody of her daughter, Kaya, to ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko in 2018. Panettiere says the decision was made to protect Kaya from the public scrutiny that would accompany a custody battle and to place her in a stable environment in Europe. She notes that Kaya, now 11, has lived with her father since the custody papers were signed and that she maintains regular travel and FaceTime contact.
Health Crises and Postpartum Struggles
Panettiere recounts a life-threatening delivery in 2014, describing a “code crimson” emergency when her blood would not clot and her uterus became infected, requiring three hours of surgery and seven blood transfusions. She later experienced severe postpartum depression, describing persistent anxiety that “crept back in, then overtook me,” and admitted to self-medicating with alcohol. At four months old, Kaya’s birth, Panettiere entered treatment after recognizing her drinking had become a problem. She says she sought professional help to address the depression she feared might be permanent.
Decision Rationale and Ongoing Parenting
Panettiere emphasizes that she believed full custody was “the best decision for Kaya while she worked to rebuild her life.” She asserts that Kaya has “an incredible life,” learning languages, horseback riding, and receiving a strong support system. Panettiere travels frequently to Europe, maintains a “good relationship” with Klitschko, and stresses a mutual promise not to speak negatively about each other to their child. She reports feeling “great” now and hopes her story encourages other mothers facing similar struggles to seek help.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I hid it from my daughter as much as I could.” — Hayden Panettiere
- “When you wake up in the morning and the first thing you're thinking about is having a drink, it's a problem,” — Hayden Panettiere
- “I was mortified when I saw stories like 'Hayden Panettiere gave up her daughter,'” — Hayden Panettiere
- “I travel a lot to Europe, and I spend a lot of time on FaceTime with her,” — Hayden Panettiere
- “I felt like I made the right call,” — Hayden Panettiere
