Hayden Panettiere, who was found dead on Sunday at age 36, recalled the agonizing moment she signed over custody of her daughter, Kaya, describing it as one of the most painful experiences of her life. In a panel discussion for her memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," held in West Hollywood, California, shortly before her death, Panettiere recounted the experience of signing away her parental rights at a restaurant in front of strangers.
"I was sitting there with these people, gritting my teeth as hard as I can to not start sobbing," Panettiere shared, noting her shock at the presence of witnesses. She later retreated to a bathroom to process the reality of the situation. Her father, Alan "Skip" Lee Panettiere, was present for the custody signing. Panettiere expressed a desire to maintain a positive relationship with her daughter, acknowledging the difficulty of discussing the topic. She also conveyed her hurt at hearing the decision characterized as a "personal choice," emphasizing that no one would willingly choose such emotional pain. Panettiere stated she was "completely incapable" of caring for Kaya at the time due to postpartum depression and addiction, leading to feelings of guilt.
Panettiere's ex-fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko, gained custody of their daughter in 2018. Despite this, the former couple maintained a stable co-parenting relationship, with Panettiere frequently traveling to Ukraine, where Kaya was living, to visit her. The actress found a headline that read, "Why Hayden Panettiere Gave Up Her Daughter," to be deeply distressing, comparing it to being "stabbed me in the heart." She asserted that her love for her daughter meant prioritizing what was best for Kaya, even if it was not what Panettiere personally desired or what made her feel good as a parent.
A source at the event where Panettiere discussed her memoir noted that her speech appeared slow and slurred at times, and she became visibly emotional. Per 911 audio obtained by Page Six, Panettiere was found dead in a Greenville, South Carolina, apartment complex following an apparent overdose. An autopsy revealed no signs of trauma at the time of her death. Her family confirmed her passing, with her father stating she was "an incredible light and a force of nature." Her mother, Lesley Vogel, criticized Panettiere's on-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, who was with her at the time of her death, suggesting that young people in the entertainment industry often struggle and "find the wrong path."