Wladimir Klitschko petitions court to protect daughter's inheritance after Hayden Panettiere's fentanyl death

From the Newshound archive · first published 29 September 2026.

Wladimir Klitschko has filed an urgent petition in a Los Angeles County court asking to act as temporary guardian of his 11-year-old daughter Kaya's estate after her mother Hayden Panettiere died of an accidental fentanyl overdose in August. The filing warns there is a "high probability" estate property may be "lost, damaged or dissipated" without his immediate appointment. Klitschko has had full custody of Kaya, who lives with him in Ukraine, for most of her life, and the girl is Panettiere's sole heir.

Federal agents seized property from Panettiere's Los Angeles home during an investigation, and valuables are reported missing with no authorised person in place to recover them.

The petition also cites an unnamed unauthorised person who had gained access to Panettiere's residence before her death, prompting her and Klitschko to hire security.