Hayden Panettiere's relationship with daughter Kaya and why she gave up custody

Hayden Panettiere shared a close relationship with her daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, despite making the difficult decision to give her former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko primary custody of their daughter in 2018.

Panettiere and Klitschko welcomed Kaya on December 9, 2014. The couple later separated in 2018, and Klitschko became Kaya's primary caregiver as Panettiere sought treatment for postpartum depression, alcohol addiction and substance abuse.

The custody decision was deeply painful for Panettiere. She previously described it as a "living nightmare" and said she felt out of control when Kaya moved to Ukraine to live with her father. In her 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, Panettiere explained that her struggles at the time made her believe Kaya would be safer and better cared for with Klitschko while she focused on getting healthy.

Despite not having custody, Panettiere continued to maintain a strong bond with Kaya. She stayed in regular contact with her daughter through video calls and visits and repeatedly stressed that she had not abandoned her.

In one of her final interviews before her death, Panettiere spoke about how much her relationship with Kaya had changed as her daughter grew older. She described their bond as "incredible" and said she hoped to spend more time with her in the future.

Panettiere also revealed a sweet nickname Kaya had given her. Her daughter called her "Britney", a reference to Panettiere's character in the 2007 film Bring It On: All or Nothing. Panettiere joked that the nickname made her feel "cool" in her daughter's eyes.

The actress was particularly concerned about how Kaya would understand her mother's struggles. While discussing her memoir in May, Panettiere said she never wanted her daughter to believe that she was responsible for what her mother went through. She described Kaya as the most important part of her life and said she would continue protecting her.

Wladimir Klitschko has continued to raise Kaya since the 2018 custody arrangement. Following Panettiere's death on August 16 at age 36, Klitschko paid tribute to his former partner and said he would make sure their daughter knew about her mother's accomplishments and the impact she had through her work.

Although Panettiere and Klitschko were no longer together romantically, they remained connected through Kaya. Their daughter was ultimately at the centre of Panettiere's most difficult decision as a mother and remained one of the strongest relationships in her life until her death.