Hayden Panettiere's Ex Files Urgent Petition Over Her Estate
More than a month after Hayden Panettiere's death, her ex-fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko, is asking a Los Angeles court for the legal authority to protect the estate their daughter, Kaya, stands to inherit.
Klitschko, a former heavyweight boxing champion, filed an urgent petition in Los Angeles County court on Sept. 24 asking to be appointed temporary guardian of 11-year-old Kaya's estate, People reported. Kaya is Panettiere's sole heir. The filing became public Monday, when TMZ first reported it.
What the Petition Asks For
The petition is not about custody. Klitschko has had full custody of Kaya for most of her life. Instead, it concerns the legal management of what she inherits from her mother.
Klitschko's legal team called his appointment "urgent and essential", arguing that without it, no one has the authority to secure and account for Panettiere's assets. Being named Kaya's temporary guardian would allow him to begin the probate process and nominate an administrator for the estate.
"This directly and adversely affects Kaya, as she is the sole heir," the filing states, according to E! News.
Appointing a permanent estate representative could take weeks, and the petition argues the estate's property needs protection now.
Concerns About Panettiere's Property
The filing outlines several concerns about what could happen to Panettiere's belongings without someone legally in charge.
According to the petition, unauthorized people may have accessed her property, and some personal items and jewelry may be missing. The filing also says federal agents took some of Panettiere's property as part of an investigation, and there is currently no authorized person who can deal with them to make sure it's returned.
The petition also lists steps already taken as a precaution. A security service changed the locks on Panettiere's home after her death, and storage units holding designer clothing and accessories she wore to public appearances were moved.
"Kaya is entitled to the entirety of the assets subject to Hayden's probate administration in California," the petition says, according to Yahoo Entertainment.
A hearing on the request is scheduled for Oct. 8, PinkNews reported.
Panettiere and Klitschko's History
Panettiere and Klitschko began dating in 2009 and got engaged in 2013. Their daughter, Kaya, was born in December 2014.
The couple split in 2018, the same year Panettiere signed over full custody of Kaya to Klitschko while she was struggling with addiction. Kaya went to live with her father full-time when she was about 2 and spent much of her childhood with him in Ukraine, where he is from. She is no longer living in Ukraine because of the war.
Panettiere spoke openly over the years about how painful the arrangement was, describing giving up custody as one of the hardest things she'd ever done. She said she continued to visit Kaya and speak with her by phone.
Klitschko, 50, is an Olympic gold medalist who held several heavyweight titles between 2000 and 2015. His brother, Vitali, also a former boxing champion, is the mayor of Kyiv.
Remembering Hayden Panettiere
Panettiere, known for her roles on Heroes and Nashville, died Aug. 16 in Greenville, South Carolina, at age 36. The Greenville County Coroner's Office later ruled her death an accidental overdose.
Klitschko has said he will work to keep Panettiere's memory alive for their daughter.
Anyone struggling with substance use can call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for free, confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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