Hayden Panettiere’s ex Wladimir Klitschko, estranged mom speak out after her death
Hayden Panettiere’s estranged mother, Lesley Vogel, and her former fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko, have spoken out following the actress’s death at age 36.
Panettiere, known for her roles in Heroes, Nashville, and the Scream franchise, died on Aug. 16, as confirmed by her father, Alan "Skip" Panetierre.
Vogel, in an interview with NBC News, said she believes the actress is now with her younger brother Jansen, who died in 2023 at 28.
"I think Hayden was an amazingly talented person in so many departments, and I think young people who grow up in the entertainment industry, it is a struggle and it's a very challenging industry, and it's not unusual for them to sadly find the wrong path," the mother said.
"I think it becomes very difficult to be true to yourself, and I think Hayden sadly lost her way, and I wish it were different. I wish she had stayed true to herself because she had many incredible attributes."
"I just feel that she's with her brother, and they're at peace."
Vogel and Panettiere had a strained relationship in the years before the actress' death. In her 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, Panettiere wrote about being managed by her mother from a young age and the emotional impact their professional and personal relationship had on her.
The mother had previously disputed some of her daughter’s accounts of their relationship and spoke about the pain she experienced during their estrangement. Despite attempts to reconcile, the two remained estranged when Panettiere died.
‘She left this world far too soon’
Klitschko, a Ukrainian former heavyweight boxing champion and Panettiere’s former fiancé, shared that his family is going through "profound shock and grief." He and the actress have a daughter together born in 2014.
“Nothing will erase the times we shared,” he wrote. "To our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was."
"Young and talented people like Hayden should not leave this world so soon."
Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief.
— Klitschko (@Klitschko) August 18, 2026
The announcement of Hayden’s tragic death saddens me deeply. She left this world far too soon. Hayden was, although no longer my partner, an important part of my life and the mother of our daughter, Kaya.
She built… pic.twitter.com/etL169NOmB
The former couple began dating in 2009 and became engaged in 2013. Panettiere and Klitschko eventually separated, and in 2018, Panettiere relinquished custody of Kaya to Klitschko while she focused on her recovery. She continued to speak about her daughter in the years that followed and expressed hopes of rebuilding their relationship.
Panettiere’s death comes months after she released her memoir, in which she opened up about addiction, postpartum depression, grief, and her experiences as a child star. She had also spoken publicly about losing Jansen, saying she struggled deeply with his death.
