Hayden Panettiere ‘Grieved’ Not Being the ‘Mother She Wanted to Be’ to Daughter Kaya, 11, After Giving Up Custody

Kayla GrantMon, August 17, 2026 at 4:30 PM UTC

0

Hayden Panettiere and her daughter Kaya.Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty; Hayden Panettiere/X -

Hayden Panettiere opened up about her motherhood journey in her recently released memoir

The Nashville alum, who died on Sunday, Aug. 16, at age 36, shared that she experienced feelings of grief when it came to not being the “mother I want to be” to her 11-year-old daughter

Panettiere welcomed her daughter with former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko

Hayden Panettiere opened up about her motherhood journey in her memoir just months before her death.

The Nashville alum, who died on Sunday, Aug. 16, at age 36, candidly spoke about her feelings of grief when it came to her motherhood journey in her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, released in May.

Panettiere, who welcomed daughter Kaya, 11, with former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko in December 2014, shared that even though her decision to give up custody made her heart ache, she was “blessed” to be her mom.

“I grieve that I’m not the mother I want to be (trust me, no one should ever have to raise a child on FaceTime) and although I miss Kaya so much my heart aches, I know how blessed I am to be her mom,” she wrote in her memoir. “She is the greatest gift of my life, with all the best parts of her father and me.”

Hayden Panettiere in 2022.Credit: Jon Kopaloff/Getty

At an event in Los Angeles, Calif., to discuss her memoir in May, the late actress was asked what she hopes her daughter will eventually understand from her book.

“I don’t want her ever to read it and think any of it was her fault,” said Panettiere. “I love her so dearly. [It’s a lot for an] 11-year-old to process that.”

She added, “I’ll continue protecting her, especially while she’s young.”

Earlier that month, Panettiere made an appearance on CBS Mornings where she was asked by Gayle King about her relationship with her daughter. Panettiere explained that although Kaya lives in Ukraine, they still had a great relationship.

“I’m so blessed to have a great relationship with her,” she said. “I fly over there as much as I can. I’m on FaceTime with her all the time. She’s now 11 years old, and she’s calling Mommy more and more.”

“She actually called me and FaceTimed me the other day, and she calls me ‘Britney.’ She goes, ‘Hey Britney,’ “ continued the star. “It took me a second, and I realized she was talking about Bring It On, because her friends are fans of Bring It On.”

Advertisement

Panettiere starred as Britney Allen in the 2006 movie Bring It On: All or Nothing. The film is the third installment in the Bring It On series.

“I was like, Oh my gosh! She’s now asking me to Zoom with her friends. I’m cool now!” explained Panettiere.

Hayden Panettiere in 2022.Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

The Remember the Titans alum previously appeared on Jay Shetty’s podcast On Purpose and addressed the “heartbreaking” claims that she “gave away” her child after she signed over custody to her ex-fiancé Klitschko in 2018.

The actress, who most recently starred in the psychological thriller Sleepwalker, called herself a “mother lion” and said she would have “burnt the whole world down” for Kaya. But Klitschko felt it was best that their daughter live in Europe while Panettiere sought treatment for alcoholism and substance abuse.

“That was incredibly difficult. The fact that my child wasn’t going to be with me all day, every day was...you can’t put words to it. It’s just a really intense feeling or multiple feelings really layered together,” said Panettiere.

While her daughter was in Europe with Klitschko, Panettiere realized that Kaya had friends and family overseas and began to speak multiple languages like her dad.

“So by the time I finally got healthy, I felt like it would have been unfair of me to, and selfish of me to try to pull her out of this life that she had been [creating], this life that she had been living,” noted the Heroes actress. “An incredible life.”

The late actress known for her roles in Heroes, Nashville and Remember the Titans, died suddenly on Sunday at age 36.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” a rep for Panettiere confirmed to PEOPLE. “She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”