Hayden Panettiere's Engagement Ring Missing After Her Death, Source Claims
The $500,000 ring, a custom piece from ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko, has not been located.
Hayden Panettiere's engagement ring, a custom piece valued at $500,000 from her ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko, is reportedly missing days after her death. A source close to the late actress told Us magazine that the ring, which Panettiere kept after their engagement ended in 2018, has not been found.
Friends and family believe the ring may have been taken by someone who was with Panettiere in her final days, potentially during an attempt to pawn her belongings. The actress died on August 16 from an accidental overdose in South Carolina. She was 36 years old.
Panettiere and Klitschko, a former heavyweight boxing champion, were in an on-again, off-again relationship starting in 2009 and share an 11-year-old daughter, Kaya.
The Montblanc engagement ring was designed collaboratively by Panettiere and the jeweler. In a 2013 interview with E! News, Panettiere described the process, recalling how the brand created a book of sketches based on her ideas. The ring featured a central emerald-cut diamond and a split-shank setting.
Panettiere's death occurred after she went into cardiac arrest following an overdose. She was staying at an Airbnb with her most recent boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother, Zach Hickerson, at the time. According to a police report, Zach Hickerson stated that Brian administered Narcan, a medication to reverse opioid overdoses, and that they performed CPR while on the phone with 911.
Following Panettiere's death, Klitschko posted a tribute on Instagram. He shared a photo of himself with Panettiere and their daughter, expressing his profound shock and grief. He acknowledged her talent and the challenges she faced in her career, stating that she left the world "far too soon."
On what would have been Panettiere's 37th birthday, August 21, Klitschko shared a portrait of the actress. He thanked fans and friends for their support and urged them to consider the concept of love. "Reach out to a friend. Forgive someone. Be kind. Love is a superpower. Use it," he wrote. He concluded with "Happy Birthday, Hayden. ❤️ You are loved, you are missed, and you will never be forgotten."