<p id=”par-1_51″><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/is-hayden-panettiere-married.html/”>Hayden Panettiere’s former fiancé</a>, Wladimir Klitschko, posted a heartfelt tribute to her after <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/hayden-panettiere-flew-from-los-angeles-to-south-carolina-1-day-before-her-sudden-death.html/”>her sudden death</a>. The couple were together for years and share a daughter. While they faced challenges during their breakup, they came to have a solid relationship. Panettiere spoke about the way their dynamic changed over the years.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-hayden-panettiere-s-former-fiance-posted-a-tribute-to-her-after-her-death”>Hayden Panettiere’s former fiancé posted a tribute to her after her death</h2>
<p id=”par-2_23″>Panettiere died on Aug. 16. Klitschko, a Ukrainian boxer, posted a lengthy statement about his former partner and the mother of his child.</p>
<p id=”par-3_54″>“Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “The announcement of Hayden’s tragic death saddens me deeply. She left this world far too soon. Hayden was, although no longer my partner, an important part of my life and the mother of <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/hayden-panettiere-touch-daughter-kaya-evdokia-klitschko.html/”>our daughter, Kaya.</a>”</p>
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<p id=”par-4_7″>He also praised her talent and strength.</p>
<p id=”par-5_36″>“She built an incredible career through immense talent, while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry,” he wrote. “Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives.”</p>
<p id=”par-6_19″>Klitschko added that he will keep her memory alive for their daughter, and expressed condolences to everyone grieving her.</p>
<p id=”par-7_42″>“To our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was,” he wrote. “I extend my deepest condolences to Hayden’s parents, her friends, and her fans, who are also grieving today.”</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-what-was-hayden-panettiere-s-relationship-with-her-fiance-like”>What was Hayden Panettiere’s relationship with her fiancé like?</h2>
<p id=”par-8_22″>Panettiere and Klitschko split in 2018 after nearly a decade together. At the time, she was <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/hayden-panettiere-felt-soul-dead-giving-birth.html/”>dealing with postpartum depression</a> and addiction.</p>
<p id=”par-9_62″>“I respect him for being such a driven human being, he’s very positive. Athletes, they’re just very driven. That mentality is just pretty incredible,” she said, per <a target=”_blank” href=”https://people.com/tv/hayden-panettiere-wladimir-klitschko-relationship-timeline/” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>People</a>. “But he’s also a man that doesn’t have any sisters. So he really thought that I was doing it to myself and just that I could choose to snap out of [the postpartum depression].”</p>
<p id=”par-10_35″>She ultimately gave Klitschko custody of their daughter, which she described as one of the most difficult decisions she ever made. She admitted that he didn’t <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/hayden-panettiere-said-daughter-calling-women-mommy-horrifying-to-me.html/”>seem to completely understand</a> the agony she went through.</p>
<p id=”par-11_46″>“I remember her dad calling me and telling me Kaya’s going around and asking other women if she can call them mommy,” Panettiere said. “My breath hitched and my heart stopped, and he was laughing. He thought this was funny and it was horrifying to me.”</p>
<p id=”par-12_26″>In 2022, though, Panettiere praised Klitschko for fighting against the Russian invasion in Ukraine. She helped amplify the messages he shared, and worked closely alongside him.</p>
<p id=”par-13_25″>“We’ve been working hand-in-hand,” she said. “He’s busy fighting, so every time I get to hear his voice or get a text, it’s a relief.”</p>
<p id=”par-14_10″>In 2026, Panettiere said she considered Klitschko her “best friend.”</p>
<p id=”par-15_45″>“There’s not many people who know me in this world as well as he does. And I know that we still have an incredible amount of love for each other,” she said. “And most importantly, we have an incredible amount of respect for each other.”</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-she-said-she-was-happy-her-daughter-knew-both-parents-loved-her”>She said she was happy her daughter knew both parents loved her</h2>
<p id=”par-16_16″>Though Panettiere gave up custody of Kaya, she said she maintained a strong relationship with her.</p>
<p id=”par-17_45″>“I have an incredible relationship with her,” Panettiere said on <em>On Purpose With Jay Shetty</em>, adding, “I go travel as much as I can. I see her. I do spend a lot of time on FaceTime with her, but we talk about really deep things.”</p>
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<p id=”par-18_17″>She said she felt relieved to know her daughter had two parents who were devoted to her.</p>
<p id=”par-19_55″>“I know that she knows that she has two parents that would do anything in the world to make sure that she is happy and healthy, mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually,” she said. “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.”</p>