Hayden Panettiere planned to reunite with daughter, 11, in Ukraine after opening up about ‘incredible bond’ before death

HAYDEN Panettiere had planned an emotional reunion with her daughter in Ukraine before she was found dead, a close friend revealed.

The beloved star gushed about the “incredible bond” she shared with Kaya, 11, who she described as the “greatest gift of my life”.

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Hayden shared her daughter with former heavyweight boxing champ Wladimir Klitschko, who had primary custody of Kaya and lived with her in Ukraine.

The actress, who struggled with opioid and alcohol addiction, had planned to visit Kaya before she was found “unresponsive” at a luxury Airbnb in Greenville, South Carolina on Sunday.

Hayden’s good friend Erick Orellana told Page Six: “She was talking about how she wanted to take a vacation and that she wanted to go and see her daughter.

“Her daughter was always her absolute priority. She loved her so much.”

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It comes as…

• Hayden Panettiere has died aged 36, her father announced
• Ex Wladimir Klitschko breaks silence on star’s death
• Hayden’s neighbours recall harrowing moment before she was found dead
• New Hayden autopsy details released as coroner gives update on cause of death
• Brave Hayden battled decades of pain and turmoil from a custody battle and a family death to domestic abuse

Erick, who was Hayden’s hairstylist for three years, said that she “loved spending time with Kaya” and would often proudly show photos of her.

He said: “Her daughter was the absolute light of her life. She lit up whenever she spoke about her. Everything she did revolved around her.”

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Hayden revealed that she suffered from postpartum depression after giving birth to Kaya in 2014.

It led to problems in her relationship with Klitschko and she struggled to connect with her newborn after her birth.

Hayden opened up about subsequent struggles with mental health and addiction, which led to the couple splitting in 2018.

Kaya has lived full-time with Klitschko in Europe since.

Earlier this year, Hayden described the “incredible relationship” she had with Kaya.

In an interview with Jay Shetty’s podcast On Purpose, she said: ” I see her. I do spend a lot of time on FaceTime with her, but we talk about really deep things.

“We have a really intense, incredible bond and Im very grateful for that.”

Klitschko, 50, shared a moving tribute to Hayden on Instagram the day after her death, writing: “Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief.

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The announcement of Haydens 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.

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 Haydens parents, her friends, and her fans, who are also grieving today.

Young and talented people like Hayden should not leave this world so soon.

Hayden’s death made global headlines after her dad shared a heartbreaking statement confirming her death on Sunday night.

He said: “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden.

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“She was 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.”

Alan “Skip” Panettiere was only just recovering from his son’s death when the actress died on Sunday, neighbours revealed.

He “retreated” from his close-knit Piermont, New York, community after Jansen, 28, died from an undiagnosed heart condition in February 2023, a neighbour told The New York Post.

Another community member told the outlet that he finally “seemed like he was starting to come back from it” before Hayden’s death.

The Heroes and Nashville star had visited him only a month ago, locals recalled.

Tragic 911 audio revealed that Hayden was found dead from a suspected overdose.

Emergency crews responded to a call saying a female was in cardiac arrest at around 1.15pm, sources told TMZ.

EMS crews immediately began advanced cardiac life support, but their efforts were unsuccessful.

Hayden was pronounced dead at 2:32 pm.

Dispatch audio obtained by the outlet captured officials referring to an overdose as well as cardiac arrest during the emergency response. 

However, authorities have not determined that an overdose caused Panettieres death, and the coroners findings remain pending.