Hayden Panettiere's family backs Wladimir Klitschko's 'urgent' bid to secure daughter's inheritance

From the Newshound archive · first published 30 September 2026.

Wladimir Klitschko has filed an emergency petition in a Los Angeles County court to become temporary guardian of 11-year-old Kaya's estate, and Panettiere's own family is now publicly backing his move. Panettiere died aged 36 on August 16 from an accidental fentanyl overdose, found unresponsive in a South Carolina apartment by her boyfriend's brother. Relatives said they were 'grateful' for Klitschko's intervention, calling it 'a legal formality', and praised him as 'a great father'.

Klitschko's filing warns unnamed people have been entering Panettiere's LA home and valuables are already missing.

Items have also been seized in a federal investigation into Panettiere's death, adding urgency to securing the estate.

Klitschko, 50, held full custody of Kaya since 2018 after Panettiere's substance abuse struggles; Kaya is her sole heir.