Hayden Panettiere’s ‘gut-wrenching’ reality — Postpartum depression, addiction & handing over custody of daughter Kaya

Hollywood actress Hayden Panettiere, who passed away at the age of 36, left behind her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko. Her former fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko, now has custody of their daughter. Panettiere has been open about her challenging journey, which included a difficult childbirth, postpartum depression, struggles with addiction, and custody battles.

In her 2026 memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," Panettiere described the "gut-wrenching" experience of not being able to raise Kaya every day. She wrote that the emotional and physical trials she faced were "harder than what the public knew" about her pregnancy, including the possibility that her daughter had microcephaly. Panettiere's relationship with Kaya was strained after childbirth, with the actress feeling detached and unable to bond with her baby.

She turned to alcohol to cope with the emotional numbness and found herself dependent on substance use. Panettiere was diagnosed with postpartum depression when Kaya was 4 months old and sought help, but medication only made her situation worse. In 2024, she admitted that she wished she had understood postpartum depression earlier.

Klitschko eventually sought full custody of Kaya, as he was concerned about the actress's well-being while raising their child. Panettiere initially resisted, but ultimately agreed to the decision, acknowledging that it was the right choice for her daughter's "normalcy."