Former boxer Wladimir Klitschko said his family is “going through a time of profound shock and grief”, following the death of his former partner Hayden Panettiere.
The Heroes and Nashville actress, who died on Sunday at the age of 36, was the mother of their daughter Kaya.
Police in Greenville, South Carolina, found the actress in cardiac arrest and said there were “no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances”.
Klitschko wrote on Instagram: “Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief.
“The announcement of Hayden’s tragic death saddens me deeply. She left this world far too soon. Hayden was, although no longer my partner, an important part of my life and the mother of our daughter, Kaya.
“She built an incredible career through immense talent, while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry. Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives.
“To our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was.
“I extend my deepest condolences to Hayden’s parents, her friends, and her fans, who are also grieving today. Young and talented people like Hayden should not leave this world so soon.
“I ask everyone to please respect our family’s feelings and privacy during this incredibly difficult time. For now, this is all I wish to say.
“Thank you to everyone who is supporting my family and expressing their sincere condolences.
“Rest easy, Hayden. May you find eternal peace. #WeLoveYouHayden.”
The couple dated from 2009 to 2018. Their daughter was born in 2014.
In 2018 Panettiere gave Klitschko full custody as she struggled with addiction and mental health.
The Greenville County Coroner’s Office said an autopsy on Panettiere has been completed and “no signs of trauma were discovered that wouldhave contributed to the death.”
A statement added: “The cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies.”
Panettiere’s father Skip described her as “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.”
Her father also asked that her family be given privacy as they “take time to process this unimaginable loss”.
Panettiere spoke openly about her trouble with addiction throughout her 20s, as well as her struggles with her postpartum mental health following the birth of Kaya.
In a memoir published earlier this year, Panettiere also detailed the loss of her younger brother, Jansen, as well as her decision to give full custody of Kaya to Klitschko.
“The idea that anyone would think that I would just give away my child and be OK with it is heartbreaking and couldn’t be further from the truth,” she told podcaster Jay Shetty after the release of her memoir in May.
Panettiere said her daughter had lived with her father full-time from a young age amid the actress’s struggles with addiction and mental health.
She said: “I was struggling with mental health and anxiety, and the postpartum and having to act my way through it and just feeling like I completely lost myself.”
The 36-year-old began acting as a child, appearing in soap operas before gaining wider recognition for her role in the 2000 sports drama Remember The Titans alongside Denzel Washington, and as the voice of Dot in Pixar’s 1998 film A Bug’s Life.
Panettiere later found fame playing cheerleader Claire Bennet in the superhero drama Heroes before going on to star as up-and-coming country singer Juliette Barnes for six seasons on the hit TV series Nashville.
Her performances in Nashville earned her two Golden Globe nominations for best supporting actress while her singing on the show produced 11 entries on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.
Panettiere’s film credits include 2006’s Bring It On: All Or Nothing, comedy-drama film Raising Helen, and appearances in Scream 4 and Scream VI as Kirby Reed.
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