Wladimir Klitschko's Surprising Move to Protect Hayden Panettiere's Legacy

Hayden Panettiere's ex Wladimir Klitschko says he’s using his own money to cover the late actress’ tax bill. According to court documents obtained by TMZ on Wednesday, October 7, Klitschko, 50, claims to be putting up $30,000 of his own money to prevent Panettiere’s estate from being hit with a ton of interest and penalties. Klitschko believes Panettiere’s 2025 individual state and federal income tax returns are due on October 15. He says he will ask to be reimbursed by the estate once it is set up. Us has reached out to Klitschko’s attorneys for additional comment.

Panettiere and Klitschko were together on and off from 2009 to 2018 and got engaged in 2013. They shared 11-year-old daughter Kaya. Klitschko’s latest court documents have surfaced as he continues his effort to be named guardian of Kaya’s estate.

The former professional boxer first asked the court in September to be named the guardian so he can “have standing to file” and “nominate a proposed administrator” on his daughter’s behalf in order to “protect” her rights to Panettiere’s estate. Earlier this week, Klitschko also filed court documents and demanded answers from law enforcement about why personal items belonging to his ex ended up in a pawn shop.

“The pawn shop has declined to disclose specific item information without being contacted by law enforcement,” Klitschko claimed in court documents. “There is a real and continuing risk that any remaining items, including jewelry, believed to belong to Hayden, will be sold, transferred or otherwise rendered unrecoverable.” The athlete noted that “no personal representative of Hayden’s estate has yet been appointed,” and nobody “has authority to request law enforcement assistance in investigating the recovery of Hayden’s property, to the direct financial detriment of Kaya, Hayden’s sole intestate.” Panettiere died on August 16 at the age of 36. According to a report from the Greenville County Coroner’s Office in South Carolina, the Heroes actress died from the “toxic effects of fentanyl, 4-ANPP, alprazolam, methocarbamol and quetiapine.” Her death was determined to be accidental.

In September, a rep for the actress told Us, “The investigation is still ongoing and the case is complex.” Following the news of Panettiere’s death, Klitschko paid tribute to his late ex via social media. “Hayden was, although no longer my partner, an important part of my life and the mother of our daughter, Kaya,” the retired athlete wrote via Instagram on August 18. “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.”