Hayden Panettiere has pushed back on claims that her daughter was “abandoned,” sharing an update on her bond with the 11-year-old and why their living situation changed.
Panettiere shares daughter Kaya with ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko. The pair began dating in 2009, briefly split in 2011, and later reunited.
They became engaged in 2013, and a year later they welcomed Kaya. However, the relationship ultimately ended and the two separated for good in 2018, according to PEOPLE.
Following the breakup, Klitschko returned to Ukraine with Kaya, who was two at the time, after he was granted full custody. This came during a period when Panettiere was dealing with opioid and alcohol addiction.
The Nashville actor is now believed to have been sober for about five years.
Kaya has grown up in Ukraine, and Panettiere has said she travels to see her as often as she can.
Panettiere has previously discussed the pain of stepping back from custody, describing the moment Klitschko raised the prospect of Kaya moving overseas as deeply upsetting.
In a new conversation, the 36-year-old addressed public assumptions that she was comfortable with the arrangement and emphasized that the narrative doesn’t reflect what she experienced.
“The idea that anybody would think that I would just give away my child and be okay with it is heartbreaking.”
“It couldn’t be further from the truth,”
She also said she didn’t take the request for full custody lightly and described her immediate emotional response.
“I went like mother lion. I would’ve burnt the world down for my child. So that was incredibly difficult.”
Over time, she said, Kaya established stability and happiness with her father, and when Panettiere was back on solid ground, she felt it would have been wrong to uproot her from the life she’d built.
Panettiere also shared that she believes her daughter feels cared for, and she described how they stay closely connected despite the distance.
“I know in my heart that she feels supported,”
“I have an incredible relationship with her. I go to travel as much as I can to see her. I do spend a lot of time on FaceTime with her.”
“In no way [does] she feel abandoned.”
She added that she and Klitschko remain on good terms, saying their co-parenting communication is frequent and positive.
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