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Hayden Panettiere And former heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko They had an on-and-off relationship that lasted for years before they finally parted ways. During their romance, the former couple welcomed a daughter Kaya in 2014 and later remained committed to co-parenting after their split.
Over the years, Panettiere has occasionally spoken openly about her relationship and family dynamic, including during a 2022 interview with the peoplee, where she talked about Klitschko and their daughter living in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion. “We worked side by side,” she said at the time. “He’s busy fighting, so every time I hear his voice or get a text message, I feel relieved.”
Although their romance ended, the couple continued to support each other while raising Kaya together. Find out more about Hayden and Vladimir’s relationship, past and present, below.
Hayden Panettiere and Wladimir Klitschko first met in 2008
Hayden and Vladimir, a former Ukrainian professional boxer, first met in 2008 Screaming 4 The star said she and her future boyfriend went to a mutual friend’s party, in a 2013 interview with Ellen DeGeneres. She admitted to talking to him first. “You’re huge,” she told him happily. “You’re young,” he replied.
They started dating in 2009
Although Hayden was dating an actor Milo Ventimiglia When she first met Vladimir, they broke up in 2009. She then reconnected with her boyfriend and their romance began. It’s not clear exactly when their relationship started, but they were seen together that year and the rest is history.
Hayden and Vladimir first broke up in 2011
The couple broke up after almost two years of dating in May 2011. “Although we have decided that a separation is best for both of us, we have an amazing amount of love and respect for each other and remain very close friends,” Hayden said at the time. Vladimir also spoke about the breakup.
He said in a statement: “We had a wonderful time together, but it is not easy to manage the relationship between two continents.” “I have great respect for Hayden as a person and as a friend, and I believe we will maintain our friendship even after the breakup.”
They rekindled their romance in 2013
Hayden and Vladimir were first spotted back in public in February 2013. They were having lunch at a taco restaurant in Hollywood, Florida, and then were reportedly showing off their PDA on the beach. The outing happened two months after Hayden broke up with her boyfriend of over a year. New York Jets Wide receiver Scotty McKnight.
Hayden and Vladimir confirmed their engagement in 2013
Although engagement rumors had been circulating all year after Hayden was spotted wearing what looked like an engagement ring, she didn’t announce that she and Vladimir were planning to walk down the aisle until her interview in He lives! With Kelly and Michael In October 2013. “There’s a very large diamond ring on your ring finger… I’m not sure if you want to announce anything. Does that mean anything, is this a promise of something?” Kelly asked the beauty. “Maybe it is… I mean, I think it speaks for itself,” Hayden replied before saying “I am” after Kelly asked directly: “Are you engaged?”
Hayden later spoke about Vladimir’s beautiful display, in a 2014 interview with Brides. “It was so sweet and simple and real,” she told the outlet.. “It wasn’t about fireworks or a mariachi band. I think it’s amazing that people do that, but I like to keep it simple and from the heart.”
“I’ve always dreamed of a wedding day!” I continued. “Not over the top or crazy, but yeah, I’ve always thought about it. It’s one of those things where you just have to hang in there and hope everything goes smoothly. You’ll plan and plan, and at the end of the day you just have to sit back and see what happens.”
They bought a house together in Nashville
At the time, Hayden was filming the show, nashvillein town and when it became successful, she thought it would be ideal to buy a house on the site with her future husband. She talked about their normal life after moving into the house, in an interview with Southern living. “I like to be in a place where people appreciate the little things and don’t need a lot of things to be happy,” she said.. “Living in Nashville gives me a sense of normalcy that I wasn’t sure I would ever get back in my life.”
Hayden and Vladimir welcomed their daughter Kaya in 2014
Six months after reports first announced they were expecting, the couple became parents to their baby girl and shared photos with her the people Only a short time later. “He’s very happy,” Hayden told the outlet about Vladimir as a father. “I’m lucky if I can get my hands on the baby. He’s like, ‘No, no, I’ve got it.’ Which is exactly what I thought it would be.
Hayden Panettiere sought treatment for postpartum depression in 2015
“It’s something a lot of women experience. When? [you’re told] Regarding postpartum depression, you think, “I have negative feelings about my baby, and I want to hurt or harm my baby.” “I’ve never felt these feelings,” she said of her struggle with new motherhood. He lives! With Kelly and Mishal in September 2015. “Some women do it. But you don’t realize how broadly you can really experience that. It’s something that needs to be talked about. Women need to know that they’re not alone, and that this is actually healing.”
The following year, she was spotted without her engagement ring, and when rumors of her split from Vladimir started, she took to the internet to deny them. She wrote alongside a photo of her and Vladimir with their adorable daughter: “A Losing rings does not mean the end of relationships.” “I am happy to be with my beautiful family.”
Hayden and Vladimir split in 2018
Hayden was spotted holding hands with Brian Hickerson in Los Angeles, California and her mother was quick to confirm that her relationship with Vladimir was over. “There are a lot of changes happening in her life.” Leslie Vogel He said Radar Online. “She needs to take a break and make some decisions on her own about what she wants to do. So I think she’s in a very good place.”
It was also confirmed that Kaya moved to Ukraine with her father after the separation. Leslie said the parents were happy to care for her and got on well.
Hayden spoke about co-parenting Kaia in 2022
In 2022, Hayden admitted that she was struggling with substance abuse and depression at the time of her split from Vladimir, and although she was seeking treatment, that was part of the reason their romance ended. She said this was also the reason why Kaya was allowed to move to Ukraine.
“I never felt like I wanted to hurt my child, but I didn’t want to spend any time with her,” she explained before opening up about Vladimir’s alleged feelings. “He didn’t want to be around me. I didn’t want to be around me. But with the opioids and alcohol I would do anything that made me feel happy for a moment. And then I would feel worse than I had before. I was in a cycle of self-destruction.”
“That was the hardest thing I could have done,” she added, referring to letting Kaya walk away. “But the best thing for my daughter is making sure she’s okay, taking care of myself and making sure I can be a good mother to her. And sometimes, that means letting go.”
In February 2022, the doting mum also confirmed that Kaya was “safe” and “not in Ukraine” at the time of the Russian invasion.
Hayden Panettiere defended her custody decision in 2026
In 2026, Hayden She addressed the criticism surrounding her decision to allow her daughter, Kaia, to live with her full-time Vladimir While she battled postpartum depression and addiction. talk on Jay Shetty‘s On purpose Podcast before her memoir This is me: an accountPanettiere responded to claims that she had “abandoned” her daughter, calling the suggestion “heartbreaking.”
Hayden explained that Kaia initially traveled back and forth between Nashville and Ukraine before Klitschko eventually sought full custody in 2018. Although she called signing the custody papers “one of the worst days” of her life, she said she ultimately believed keeping Kaia in Europe was the most stable option at the time.
She also shared that she and Kaya still have a close relationship through FaceTimes, regular visits and conversations, adding that her daughter is now thriving in Europe and speaks five languages.
