Kaya Klitschko, 11, the daughter of the late actress Hayden Panettiere and boxer Wladimir Klitschko, appeared remotely in a Los Angeles County court hearing Thursday where her father was granted temporary guardianship of her estate. The move aims to protect Panettiere's assets, estimated at $6 million, from being depleted.
Panettiere died on August 16 at the age of 36 from the accidental toxic effects of multiple drugs, including fentanyl, at her home in Greenville, South Carolina. She is survived solely by her daughter, Kaya, whom she had with Klitschko during their nine-year relationship.
Klitschko filed a petition last month seeking temporary guardianship of Kaya's estate, citing concerns that Panettiere's property was being taken by federal agents investigating her death and by an unnamed non-family member seeking to sell assets. He claimed no one was in a position to recover these items for Kaya.
During Thursday's brief hearing, presided over by Judge Stephanie Santoro, Klitschko's lawyer, Diane Park, explained the urgency of the situation. Park stated that a non-relative had allegedly taken items, including jewelry, and attempted to sell them at a pawn shop. Additionally, assets were at risk of being unaccounted for during the ongoing death investigation, and Panettiere's taxes were due to be filed this month.
Court documents obtained by the Daily Mail indicated that Klitschko feared that failure to file Panettiere's 2025 individual state and federal income tax returns by the October 15, 2026, extension deadline could result in significant interest and penalties, directly impacting Kaya as the sole intestate heir. Klitschko intends to advance his own funds to cover the estimated $30,000 in taxes owed and seek reimbursement later, subject to court approval.
Further legal filings on October 5 alleged that someone previously connected to Panettiere had sold items, believed to be jewelry, to a pawn shop. The pawn shop reportedly declined to disclose specific item information without contact from law enforcement, raising concerns about the potential for remaining items to be sold or transferred and become unrecoverable.
In 2018, Panettiere signed over full custody of Kaya to Klitschko amid her struggles with postpartum depression and addiction. Klitschko subsequently moved their daughter to his native Ukraine. Panettiere had previously spoken about the difficult decision, stating in a May interview that it was not one she made lightly and was necessitated by a challenging period in her life, which led her to seek treatment for depression and substance abuse.
Panettiere, a child actress, gained recognition for her roles in "Remember the Titans," Pixar's "A Bug's Life," the superhero drama "Heroes," and "Nashville," where she played Juliette Barnes for six seasons. Her film credits also include "Bring It On: All or Nothing," "Raising Helen," and the "Scream" franchise.
Judge Santoro granted Klitschko temporary guardianship of Kaya's estate, with the next hearing scheduled for December 7. Kaya does not need to be present at future hearings.