Hayden Panettiere Defends Giving Up Custody Of Daughter

Hayden Panettiere is opening up about a deeply personal decision she had to make several years ago. While promoting her memoir, she reflected on the challenges she has faced throughout her life, including her choice to give up custody of her only child. Despite public criticism, the actress stands by her decision and shares the reasons and circumstances that led her to make it.

In an episode of the “On Purpose” podcast with host Jay Shetty, Hayden Panettiere talked about giving up full custody of her only daughter, Kaya, to her ex-fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko, who lives in Ukraine.

The actress made the custody agreement official in 2018, and it made the rounds on news outlets. Many criticized the actress, accusing her of abandoning her child despite knowing that Panettiere struggled with addiction and postpartum depression.

In the podcast, the 36-year-old actress said it was “heartbreaking” knowing that some people believed she gave up her daughter so easily. Panettiere also cleared the speculation that she was “forced” into treatment, sharing that it was her decision to seek help. “I desperately needed help,” she acknowledged.

The Actress Made The Difficult Decision For Her Daughter’s Sake

Panettiere described herself as a “mother lion” and said she would do anything for her daughter. She gave birth to Kaya in December 2014 and separated from Klitschko in August 2018. The ex-partners remained on good terms following the split, and Klitschko filed for full custody of their daughter, knowing that it was what was best for their daughter at that time.

Panettiere was heading into treatment and signed the documents. However, she said the decision was “incredibly difficult” to make, but she had to get better first in order to be her best self for her daughter. “It became this horrible cycle for years of battling depression, anxiety, alcoholism, and substance abuse and me just trying to find my way out of this darkness,” she explained.

In an interview with Us Weekly, the actress said that the decision was a “living nightmare,” but she ultimately made the “best” choice for her daughter at that time, and that was to stay with Klitschko, whom she described as an “incredible father.”

Hayden Panettiere’s Postpartum Depression

In 2023, the actress opened up about postpartum depression, saying that she didn’t immediately know she was affected by it. It’s quite common for new mothers to experience mood swings and anxiety days after giving birth, but in some cases, mothers have postpartum depression, a more severe case of the “baby blues” that can last months, per the Mayo Clinic.

Symptoms may include mood swings, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, and difficulty connecting with the child, which may affect the mother’s ability to provide proper care to the infant. “I wish I knew about postpartum depression. I wish I knew to look out for it,” Panettiere said, sharing that she drowned her feelings in alcohol, which she admitted was a temporary fix that made things worse later on.

The Actress Hit Rock Bottom And Sought Treatment

Panettiere sought help several times throughout the years, and in 2022, she openly talked about her addiction to alcohol and opioids, on top of her PPD. “I was on top of the world and I ruined it. I think I hit rock bottom, but then there’s that trap door that opens,” the actress told PEOPLE.

The “Nashville” actress voluntarily checked into an inpatient treatment program and underwent trauma therapy and said she “put a lot of work” into herself. “This hasn’t been easy and there were a lot of ups and downs, but I don’t regret even the ugliest things that have happened to me,” Panettiere said, adding that she’s grateful to have a second chance at life.

Hayden Panettiere Has A Good Relationship With Her Daughter

By the time she was in a better mental state, the actress said it would have been “unfair and selfish” of her to disrupt the life her daughter had gotten used to. Now, despite their distance, Panettiere said she has an “incredible” relationship with Kaya, talking to her often on FaceTime and visiting her when she can.

She gushed about her daughter, sharing how Kaya speaks several languages and loves horseback riding. Panettiere said her daughter has two loving and supportive parents, and she’s sure Kaya is “happy and healthy mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually” and “no way feels abandoned.”