Hayden Panettiere and Wladimir Klitschko's Publicized Split Explained — After Actress Was Seen Holding Hands With Troubled Brian Hickerson

Hayden Panettiere and Wladimir Klitschko were together for roughly nine years before calling it quits for good.

The Nashville actress was still in a relationship when she met the former professional boxer at a mutual friend's party in 2008. Although they never publicly revealed exactly when their romance began, they soon became a high-profile couple and went through several breakups and reconciliations over the years.

After a lengthy relationship that included an engagement and the birth of their daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, Panettiere and Wladimir ended their relationship for good in 2018.

RadarOnline.com can reveal all about Panettiere and Wladimir's relationship and what ultimately led to their split.

Panettiere and Wladimir broke up for the first time in May 2011 after about two years of dating.

"Even though we've decided splitting up is best for both of us, we have an amazing amount of love and respect for each other and remain very close friends," Panettiere said at the time.

Meanwhile, Wladimir shared, "We had a great time together, but it's not that easy to manage a relationship between two continents. I have a lot of respect for Hayden as a person and as a friend, and I believe we'll keep our friendship even after the separation."

They eventually reconciled and became engaged in October 2013.

However, Panettiere and Wladimir fueled breakup rumors when the Heroes alum was photographed holding hands with Brian Hickerson at a Los Angeles restaurant in August 2018.

Her mother, Lesley Vogel, confirmed the pair's breakup to Radar, saying, "There are a lot of changes going on in her life. She needs to take a little bit of a break and make some decisions on her own of what she wants to do. So I think she is in a very good place."

Neither Panettiere nor Wladimir publicly disclosed the exact reason behind their final breakup. However, the former child star soon opened up about the personal struggles she was facing during that period, including postpartum depression and addiction to opioids and alcohol.

"I never had the feeling that I wanted to harm my child, but I didn't want to spend any time with her," she told People, noting that her relationship with Wladimir began to deteriorate around the same time.

"He didn't want to be around me," she added. "I didn't want to be around me. But with the opiates and alcohol, I was doing anything to make me feel happy for a moment. Then I'd feel worse than I did before. I was in a cycle of self-destruction."

Panettiere and Wladimir welcomed their daughter, Kaya, on December 9, 2014. The Scream 4 actress relinquished custody of her daughter to Wladimir after the couple's split.

"I thought she was going over to visit him like she always did," she expressed on Red Table Talk in September 2022. "[Kaya] would go back and forth from me in Nashville and Ukraine, and then once she was over there, it was immediately 'I want full custody of her,' which was a shock to me."

She continued, "It was very upsetting signing those papers to give him full custody. It was like the most heartbreaking thing I've ever, ever had to do in my life."

Panettiere was pronounced dead on August 16 after she was found in cardiac arrest at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina. Her cause and manner of death remain "pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies."

Two days later, Wladimir shared a photo of himself with Panettiere and Kaya alongside an emotional tribute.

"Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief," he began the post. "The announcement of Hayden's tragic death saddens me deeply. She left this world far too soon."

He also reflected on their history together, saying, "Hayden was, although no longer my partner, an important part of my life and the mother of our daughter, Kaya."

"Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives," he continued, adding that he would make sure their daughter remembered her mother. "To our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was."

He then offered condolences to Hayden's loved ones and fans before asking for privacy during what he described as an "incredibly difficult time."

Wladimir concluded, "Rest easy, Hayden. May you find eternal peace."