Hayden Panettiere's Loved Ones 'Pleaded' With Her Ex Wladimir Klitschko to 'Step in' and 'Put Her Life Back on Track' After 2018 Split
Hayden Panettiere and Wladimir Klitschko called off their engagement in 2018.
Aug. 19 2026, Published 5:53 p.m. ET
Hayden Panettiere's friends and family hoped that her ex-fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko, would "step in" after she began "partying" with on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson back in 2018, according to a source.
The Heroes star's loved ones were said to be especially concerned after police were called to investigate a drunken domestic dispute incident between Hickerson and his father, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Hayden Panettiere Was 'Depressed'
Hayden Panettiere and Wladimir Klitschko shared one daughter, Kaya.
"Hayden’s spent the last four months with Brian, and she’s started partying again," a source shared at the time. "She’s depressed over spending time away from Kaya, who spends a lot of time with Wladimir, living between Florida and Europe."
As Radar previously reported, Panettiere and Klitschko officially called it quits on their engagement in August 2018, more than three years after their daughter was born.
The former child star began dating Hickerson that same year.
'They Know Wladimir Cares About Her'
Hayden Panettiere's family hoped Wladimir Klitschko could help her, according to a source.
Despite their relationship not working out, those close to Panettiere hoped the former boxer, who reportedly led a sober lifestyle, could help her.
"Hayden’s friends and family are really worried about her," the source explained. "They know Wladimir cares about her and they’re pleading with him to step back into her life and help put her on the right track."
Hayden Panettiere Gives Custody to Wladimir Klitschko
Hayden Panettiere gave up custody of her and Wladimir Klitschko's daughter in 2018.
In 2018, Panettiere also made the "gut-wrenching" decision to give up full custody of her daughter to Klitschko.
"It’s hard to describe the layers of emotion – including sadness, resentment, and anger – I’ve felt because of it," she penned in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.
Panettiere revealed that she battled postpartum depression, as well as drinking issues after the birth of their child in 2014. Although she sought help and even entered rehab, Panettiere still struggled. When Kaya was three years old, Klitschko reportedly approached her about taking full custody of their little girl, and she reluctantly agreed.
"I remember every second of that day. Every f---ing second," she said. "No mother could forget a single thing about the day she signed her child away."
Hayden Panettiere Found 'Unresponsive' on August 16
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Hayden Panettiere died on August 16.
Panettiere and Hickerson had an on-again, off-again, volatile relationship until her tragic death.
On Saturday, August 15, Panettiere traveled from Los Angeles, California, to Greenville, South Carolina, with Hickerson. The next day, she was found unresponsive in an Airbnb at the Judson Mill Lofts complex.
"It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden," her father, Skip, said in a statement at the time. "She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen."
Her cause of death has yet to be determined, but according to the 911 dispatch, it was suspected to be an "overdose." An autopsy confirmed "no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death," but toxicology reports are pending.
