Hayden Panettiere, mother to 11 years old daughter Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, has died at the age of 36.
Her father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed her death in a statement Sunday night, August 16, 2026, calling her “an incredible light and a force of nature.”
A cause of death has not been released. Her publicist said an investigation was ongoing.
Panettiere was best known for playing Claire Bennet on Heroes and Juliette Barnes on Nashville. In recent months, though, she had become just as known for speaking openly about motherhood, in a memoir and a string of interviews about her daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko.
So who is Kaya, and what happens now?
Who Is Hayden Panettiere’s Daughter Kaya Evdokia Klitschko?
Kaya Evdokia Klitschko is Hayden Panettiere’s only child. She was born on December 9, 2014, in Hawaii.
Her father is Wladimir Klitschko, the retired Ukrainian heavyweight boxing champion.
Panettiere and Klitschko were engaged at the time of Kaya’s birth but never married. They separated in 2018.
Kaya has been raised largely outside the public eye. Panettiere spoke often about wanting her daughter to have a childhood without the level of media attention she experienced growing up as a child star herself.
Where Is Hayden Panettiere’s Daughter Kaya Klitschko Now?
Kaya lives with her father, Wladimir Klitschko, in Europe.
She has lived primarily with him since 2018, when Panettiere gave him full custody amid her own struggles with postpartum depression and addiction.
Kaya originally lived with Klitschko in Ukraine. Her situation drew renewed public attention after Russia’s invasion in February 2022, given her father’s prominent role in the country.
Panettiere said in interviews earlier this year that she traveled to see Kaya as often as she could and stayed in regular contact through FaceTime when they were apart.
What Does Hayden Panettiere And Wladimir Klitschko’s Daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, Do Now?
Kaya is currently focused on school and childhood, not on any public career.
Panettiere revealed earlier this year that her daughter had started showing an interest in acting.
Given her own experience with early fame, Panettiere said the idea made her a little nervous, though she didn’t discourage it.
Beyond that, Kaya’s day-to-day life has been kept almost entirely private. She has not appeared in any acting projects, and her parents largely avoided using her image publicly.
How Old Is Kaya Evdokia Klitschko?
Kaya is 11 years of age. She was born on December 9, 2014, which means she’ll turn 12 this coming December.
Panettiere gave birth to her at age 25.
Kaya Evdokia Klitschko Education Details
Specific details about Kaya’s school have not been made public.
What is known comes from her mother’s own comments. Panettiere said this year that Kaya speaks five languages, a reflection of the multicultural upbringing she’s had living with her father in Europe.
She has also been described as active and adventurous, though exact details of her schooling, activities, and daily routine have been kept private by both parents.
Did Hayden Panettiere See Her Daughter Kaya Klitschko Before Her Death?
There’s no public report confirming the exact last time the two saw each other in person.
What is well documented is that they remained close in the months leading up to Panettiere’s death.
In a May 2026 appearance on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast, Panettiere said she traveled to see Kaya “as much as I can” and spoke to her regularly over FaceTime.
She also told CBS Mornings around the same time that Kaya had been calling her more frequently.
Panettiere’s final public interview about her daughter appeared in Momé magazine on July 21, 2026, less than a month before her death, in a piece focused on her relationship with Kaya.
There is no indication in current reporting that the two were estranged or out of contact at the time of Panettiere’s death.
Why Did Hayden Lose Custody Of Her Daughter Kaya Evdokia Klitschko?
She didn’t lose custody through a court battle. She agreed to give Klitschko full custody in 2018, during a severe mental health crisis.
Panettiere spoke about this decision in detail earlier in 2026, both in interviews and in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.
She described struggling with undiagnosed postpartum depression after Kaya’s birth, along with addiction to alcohol and, at times, opioids.
By her own account, the way the arrangement happened caught her off guard. She said she initially believed Kaya was going to visit her father in Ukraine, only to later find herself signing documents that granted him full custody.
At the same time, Panettiere also described the choice as one she came to accept and support. She told Fox News Digital that when she saw the stability and support system Kaya had with Klitschko, she decided not to fight the arrangement, saying she feared doing so would “permanently damage” her daughter.
She called it “the most gut-wrenching experience” of her life, while maintaining that it was ultimately the right decision for Kaya.
Does Kaya Evdokia Klitschko Inherit Her Mother’s Wealth After Her Death?
This isn’t publicly known yet, and it’s too soon after Panettiere’s death for any estate details to be available.
No will, probate filing, or official statement about Panettiere’s estate has been made public as of this writing.
As her only child, Kaya would typically be considered a primary heir under standard inheritance principles, whether through a will naming her or through default inheritance laws if no will exists. That is general legal context, not a confirmed account of Panettiere’s actual estate.
Given how recently her death was confirmed, any specific details about her finances or estate plans are likely to take time to become public, if they become public at all.
Hayden Panettiere Daughter Kaya Evdokia Klitschko’s Life At A Glance
Name: Kaya Evdokia Klitschko
Born: December 9, 2014, in Hawaii
Age: 11
Parents: Wladimir Klitschko (father), Hayden Panettiere (mother)
