Celebrity3 min(s) read
Hayden Panettiere's former fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko, has shared a touching message on what would have been her 37th birthday.
The actress, best known for her roles in Heroes and Scream 4, died last weekend in an apartment in North Carolina. Her death is still under investigation by authorities.
Panettiere shared daughter Kaya with the Ukrainian former boxer, with the pair having an on-again, off-again relationship for the better part of a decade.
Now, on the late actress's birthday, Klitschko wrote a lengthy post in tribute to her, in which he pleaded with his followers to "think about love."
In his lengthy Instagram post, Klitschko wrote: "Today is Hayden’s birthday. Instead of celebrating the way we had planned, today we celebrate her life, her spirit, and the love she brought into this world.
"I want to thank all of Hayden’s fans, friends, and everyone who has reached out for the incredible outpouring of love and support. At a time filled with so much sadness, your kindness has reminded me that there is still so much good in humanity."
He concluded by saying: "If you’re reading this, I ask just one thing: even if only for a moment, think about LOVE. Reach out to a friend. Forgive someone. Be kind. Love is a superpower. Use it."
Klitschko and Panettiere began dating in 2009; however, the long-distance nature of their relationship meant they split for the first time in 2011.
However, by April 2013, Panettiere confirmed that she and Klitschko had reunited. That October, they announced their engagement.
In December 2014, Panettiere gave birth to the couple's daughter, Kaya. Following the birth of their daughter, Panettiere openly talked about having suffered from postpartum depression, though she claimed being so frank about it had some detrimental affects to career, given she was dropped by Neutrogena as the long-time face of the brand the next year.
The couple broke up for the second and final time in 2018, with Klitschko taking full custody of their daughter, though he and Panettiere shared a good co-parenting relationship, according to reports.
Following her final split with the boxer, Panettiere entered into a relationship with Brian Hickerson, which proved to be controversial. The couple's time together was tempestuous, with Hickerson being jailed in 2021 on domestic violence charges against Panettiere.
In 2026, however, it appeared the two had reconciled. They were seen in public and she and Hickerson travelled from Los Angeles to North Carolina the day before her death.
Authorities have confirmed that Brian Hickerson and his brother, Zach, were both present at the site of Panettiere's death and rang 911.
