Wladimir Klitschko has filed court papers demanding a police investigation into jewelry he claims was pawned from Hayden Panettiere’s estate after her death.
The former heavyweight champion, 50, submitted the request in Los Angeles as part of his broader push to control his late ex-fiancée’s assets for their daughter. Klitschko alleges that “a non-family member previously connected to” Panettiere sold some of her belongings, including jewelry, to a pawn shop that now refuses to release details without law enforcement involvement, according to court documents. He warned that the items could be sold to third parties if authorities do not step in quickly.
Klitschko’s filing asks a judge to grant him authority to formally request a law enforcement probe into recovering the property. This move comes just days after he submitted separate paperwork on Sept. 24 seeking temporary guardianship of 11-year-old Kaya’s estate. The girl currently lives with her father in Ukraine. Klitschko wrote that Kaya “is entitled to the entirety” of Panettiere’s assets and called it “urgent and essential” that he be appointed so he “may receive, manage and hold” those assets on her behalf.
The Ukrainian boxer also claimed in his filings that federal agents entered Panettiere’s Los Angeles residence and “removed property belonging to Hayden’s estate.” He revealed that the couple had hired a security service before her death due to concerns that someone had gained unauthorized access to her home. After she died, locks were changed and storage units containing designer clothing and accessories were relocated as a precaution. Even so, Klitschko stated that certain personal items, including jewelry, “have disappeared or remain unaccounted for.”
Sources close to Panettiere’s family said they back Klitschko’s legal actions. “Wlad is a great father, and we are grateful,” they said.
The jewelry dispute adds another layer of conflict among those closest to the “Nashville” star. Her parents, Lesley Vogel and Skip Panettiere, have already clashed over what should happen to the earrings Panettiere was wearing when she died. The coroner noted in a report that “stud type earrings” were removed from her body during autopsy and placed in a locker for safekeeping. One parent wanted them mailed to North Carolina, while the other requested they go to a California address. The coroner told both parties the earrings would not be released until they reached an agreement.
Panettiere died Aug. 16 at age 36 while staying at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina. The Greenville County Coroner’s Office ruled her death accidental, caused by the toxic effects of fentanyl, 4-ANPP, alprazolam, methocarbamol and quetiapine.
Following her death, Klitschko posted a throwback family photo on Facebook and wrote, “Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief,” He added that the “Heroes” actress “left this world far too soon.”
The pawn shop allegations mark the latest development in an increasingly complicated estate battle, with Klitschko positioning himself as the protector of his daughter’s financial interests while multiple parties stake claims to Panettiere’s personal effects.
Klitschko’s guardianship request remains pending in Los Angeles.
