EXCLUSIVE: Hayden Panettiere's Daughter at Center of Inheritance Battle

In the months before her tragic death from an accidental overdose at the age of 36, actress Hayden Panettiere spoke glowingly of her ex Wladimir Klitschko, the father of her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

"We are still best friends," she told Jay Shetty on his podcast in May, and in the prologue to her 2026 memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, she described him as "one of the most courageous people I've ever met and a true hero in so many ways," adding, "You are a wonderful human being and an amazing father to Kaya."

Two months after Hayden's untimely passing, Klitschko is still trying to do right by the Nashville star. On Sept. 24, the former pro boxer – who lives with Kaya in Europe, primarily his native Ukraine – filed a petition to serve as the temporary guardian of Hayden's estate, a move designed to protect Kaya's inheritance.

Kaya is the sole heir of Hayden's estimated $6million fortune.

The 50-year-old expressed grave concerns that people in Panettiere's orbit are trying to get their hands on her assets.

He claimed in court documents that the late star – who'd been open about her struggles with mental health and addiction – had recently hired a security service to protect her L.A. home after "an individual had gained unauthorized access," and said he was informed that some of Hayden's belongings – including pricey jewelry – had mysteriously "disappeared."

(He noted that Panettiere had her locks changed and had certain possessions – like designer clothing – relocated.)

While he didn't name names, it's widely believed Klitschko is referring to Panettiere's on-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson, who was with her when she overdosed at an Airbnb property in South Carolina on Aug. 16.

A Sept. 22 coroner's report ruled her cause of death as the toxic effects of fentanyl, a muscle relaxant and anti-anxiety and antipsychotic drugs.

Hayden was survived by her dad, Skip [Panettiere], and mom Lesley Vogel, but Klitschko told the court he wishes to be the only one to "receive, manage and hold" the assets "to which Kaya is entitled."

Said a source: "Wlad figures there will be pushback from various relatives of Hayden's but he's not letting it get in the way of his plan. He's determined to protect Kaya and keep her away from the vultures and sharks who will no doubt come circling for her cash."

While sources close to Hayden's family told TMZ they were "grateful" for Klitschko's intervention, the actress had previously described her mother/manager as anything but maternal. When she severed their business relationship at age 19, Hayden said her mom replied: "You owe me."

Hickerson is another worry. Hayden began her tumultuous relationship with the aspiring actor in 2018; he was convicted in 2021 on two felony counts of domestic violence against her, and in 2023 and 2024 Hayden's former neighbor Mia Terrazas said she saw the Heroes actress being wheeled in a gurney while Hickerson was in the picture.

According to the coroner's report, two men (ID'd as Brian and his brother Zach [Hickerson] in earlier reports by the police) found a "deep purple"-colored Hayden face down on a sofa, and one gave her Narcan (meant to offset the effects of opioids). Brian told investigators he'd administered Narcan to Hayden previously.

The investigation into her OD is ongoing.

"There's a need to uncover exactly how Hayden got the drugs and whether she was abused prior to her death," said the source.

Hayden's mom told the Daily Mail in August she believed Brian's story was "full of holes" and revealed she told police "he was culpable."

Now that Klitschko has gotten himself and the courts involved, "There's still a desire for justice, and he is right at the front of the line," explained the source.

In the meantime, he's focused on protecting Kaya.

"She's deep in mourning and struggling to make sense of it all," the source said. In a post shared to Instagram on Aug. 18, Klitschko wrote that he would always speak of Kaya's mother "with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was."

In the end, said the source: "Wlad is doing his best to remind Kaya about the good parts of Hayden, and how she was a loving and talented soul who deserves to be celebrated for all the good things she did, not the mistakes she made."