As the political crisis in Ukraine continues to escalate, many people have weighed in with their opinions on the war. Some of those speaking up don't quite have a dog in the fight, but for others, the conflict hits very close to home. Actress and musician Hayden Panettiere is one of such.The Nashville star was famously involved with legendary Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko, a relationship that bore their now 7-year-old daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko.Panettiere recently confirmed that their daughter is safe and away from the war zone, although Klitschko himself - now mayor of capital Kyiv - is actively involved in actual combat on the ground in his home nation.Although Panettiere is no longer romantically involved with the former boxer, she is undoubtedly rooting for him. We delve into the story of her relationship with Klitschko and their daughter, Kaya.
8 How Hayden Panettiere And Wladimir Klitschko Met
Hayden Panettiere was one of the stars of the NBC superhero drama Heroes, which was massively popular in the 2000s. Having briefly dated her costar from the show, Milo Ventimiglia, she attended the launch of her friend Diana Jenkins' book Room 23 in 2009. It was here that she and Wladimir Klitschko's paths would first cross, and they began to date soon after that.
7 Hayden Panettiere And Wladimir Klitschko First Broke Up In 2011
Like most relationships, the first year of their romance was full of infatuation, as they started to make public appearances together. Hayden Panettiere even made a few cameos ringside during some of her lover's fights.
By May 2011, however, trouble was already brewing in paradise as she announced that they had parted ways. They cited the fact that they were more often apart than together, saying that it was "difficult to manage a relationship between two continents."
6 The Couple Got Back Together In Early 2013
When they went through their breakup in 2011, both the singer and the athlete were pained to explain that they still harbored a lot of affection for each other. These sentiments were validated about two years later, when in an interview with Glamour magazine, Panettiere confirmed that they had rekindled their love.
"I think it's pretty obvious [that we are back together]," she said. "I'm not going to deny it."
5 Hayden Panettiere And Wladimir Klitschko's Engagement
As was the case the first time around, things got pretty serious pretty quickly between them once again. The Glamour magazine interview took place in April, and six months later, Klitschko had already put a ring on his girlfriend's finger, to effectively take their relationship to the next level.
Panettiere confirmed the news of their engagement on an episode of Live With Kelly and Michael on ABC, after co-host Kelly Ripa caught the sight of a big diamond ring on the actress' hand. "Are you engaged?" she asked her guest, to which Panettiere simply said, "I am."
4 Kaya Evdokia Klitschko Was Born In December 2014
Hayden Panettiere and Wladimir Klitschko's forever connection was sealed with the birth of their daughter Kaya, on December 10, 2014. At the time, the actress' biggest job was playing the character Juliette Barnes on the musical TV drama, Nashville.
As she went through the delivery process, Panettiere missed the filming of a few episodes of the show, although she returned to the set shortly thereafter.
3 Hayden Panettiere Suffered Postpartum Depression After Kaya Klitschko's Birth
Hayden Panettiere has been very open about the challenges she has faced in making and sustaining her family. None of those is more acute than her struggle with postpartum depression following the birth of Kaya.
She spoke about this candidly in another appearance on Live With Kelly And Michael in 2015. "I can very much relate. It's something a lot of women experience," she said. "[PPD] is really painful, and it's really scary, and women need a lot of support."
2 Hayden Panettiere And Wladimir Klitschko Broke Up Again In 2018
As the Hayden Panettiere battled for her mental well-being and Wladimir Klitschko continued globetrotting for his boxing career, cracks once again emerged in their relationship. In August 2018, a source close to Panettiere's family disclosed that the pair had once again broken up after just about nine years together.
This particular split came as a bit of a surprise to fans, as the couple had been vacationing in Greece with their daughter just a month before.
1 Hayden Panettiere Does Not Live With Her Daughter, Kaya
Soon after separating from Wladimir Klitschko, Hayden Panettiere started a relationship with real estate agent Brian Hickerson. They would split up in 2020, following allegations of physical abuse from Hickerson.
For this reason, Wladimir Klitschko was said to be very wary of Kaya spending time around Hickerson. As such, he has largely remained the little girl's primary caregiver. That being said, there haven't been any protracted custody battles between the celebrity couple, and Panettiere does get to see Kaya regularly.