Hayden Panettiere's ex-fiance in "profound shock" after her death
Panettiere, who shares a daughter with the former boxing champ, died on Sunday at 36 years old.
Updated on: August 18, 2026 / 8:16 AM EDT / CBS News
Wladimir Klitschko, the former fiance of Hayden Panettiere, commented on the actor's death for the first time on Tuesday, calling it a "profound shock" and "tragic death."
"Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief," Klitschko wrote on social media . "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."
Panettiere died on Sunday at 36 years old. She was found in cardiac arrest at a home in South Carolina and "resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful," according to the Greenville County Coroner's Office.
"The cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies," the coroner's statement said.
Klitschko, the former heavyweight boxing world champion, and Panettiere began dating in 2009 and got engaged in October 2013. Kaya was born in December 2014. Panettiere gave full primary custody of their daughter to Klitschko in 2018.