Wladimir Klitschko has broken his silence following the death of his former fiancée, actress Hayden Panettiere, who died on Sunday, just one week before her 37th birthday.

The former couple shared a daughter, Kaya, and Klitschko said Hayden remained an important part of his life despite their relationship having ended.

“Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief,” he wrote Tuesday morning alongside a photograph of Hayden, himself and their daughter during happier times.

“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.”

He continued by remembering her career and the challenges she faced away from the spotlight.

“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.”

Klitschko said he would make sure Kaya remembered her mother with respect.

“To our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was,” he wrote.

He also offered his condolences to Panettiere’s parents, friends and fans, before asking for privacy as the family grieves.

“I ask everyone to please respect our family’s feelings and privacy during this incredibly difficult time,” he said. “For now, this is all I wish to say.”

He ended his statement by thanking those who had offered support and condolences.

“Rest easy, Hayden. May you find eternal peace.”

Hayden Panettiere and Wladimir Klitschko’s relationship

Panettiere and Klitschko first met at a book launch in 2009. After dating for two years, they separated in 2011, but reunited two years later.

The couple became engaged in October 2013. Their daughter, Kaya, was born the following December.

By 2018, Panettiere and Klitschko had separated again, although they remained on amicable terms. Later that year, Panettiere announced that she had made the “difficult decision” to give full custody of Kaya to her father, who moved their daughter to his native Ukraine.

The decision came as Panettiere was dealing with severe depression and substance abuse. She previously said the depression left her feeling as though she “felt nothing,” and that she began turning to wine before eventually entering rehab for depression and substance abuse.

In a final interview with Dear Momé in May, Panettiere explained that giving up custody had been an extremely painful decision.

“It wasn’t a decision I made lightly, nor was it a decision I even wanted to make. I was going through a really challenging time in my life,” she said.

Speaking to Jay Shetty on his On Purpose podcast in May, she also described the years she spent trying to recover.

“I have been the one who sought it out, who was saying, ‘I desperately need help. I know this is going to look terrible, but I am. I cannot live like this anymore,’” she said.

“The idea that anybody would think that I would just give away my child and be OK with it is heartbreaking. It couldn’t be further from the truth.”

She described her struggles as “this horrible cycle for years of battling depression and anxiety and alcoholism and substance abuse, and just me trying to find my way back.”

Despite the distance between them, Panettiere said she remained deeply connected to Kaya.

“I love my daughter, and I’m so proud of the young woman she is becoming. I talk to her all the time, and I feel so connected to her. She’s like a mini-me,” she told Dear Momé.

Panettiere also addressed the possibility of bringing Kaya back to live with her, saying she did not want to disrupt the life her daughter had built in Ukraine.

“By the time I finally got healthy, I felt like it would have been unfair of me to, and selfish of me to try to pull her out of this life that she had been creating,” she said.

Panettiere’s career and final days

Panettiere began acting as a child, appearing in soap operas before gaining wider attention in the 2000 sports drama Remember the Titans, starring Denzel Washington. She also voiced Dot in Pixar’s 1998 animated film A Bug’s Life.

Her breakthrough came with the role of cheerleader Claire Bennet in the superhero drama Heroes. She later starred as country singer Juliette Barnes on Nashville for six seasons.

Her performance on Nashville earned her two Golden Globe nominations for best supporting actress. Her music career also produced 11 entries on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

Her film work included Bring It On: All or Nothing in 2006 and the comedy-drama Raising Helen. She also appeared as Kirby Reed in Scream 4 and Scream VI.

The circumstances surrounding Panettiere’s death remain under investigation. Her official cause of death has not yet been announced, although an autopsy found “no signs of trauma.”

On Monday, it was reported that Narcan, a nasal spray used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, had been found on a mattress in the loft apartment where Panettiere was staying.

It remains unclear whether the Narcan was used in an attempt to revive her. Audio from a 911 call obtained Monday indicated that Panettiere had gone into cardiac arrest following a suspected overdose.

The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Monday that the autopsy had been completed and that no signs of trauma were found on her body. Further investigation is expected to determine the cause of death.

Chief deputy coroner Shelton England told the Daily Mail that it was too early to discuss the theory that a drug overdose was involved.

A neighbor also described the commotion at the Judson Mill Lofts complex in Greenville, South Carolina, where Panettiere was found unresponsive Sunday.

Micah Lee, who lives at the complex, said there was a “bunch of commotion in the hallway” after he heard that someone had collapsed inside one of the units.

“The halls are pretty hollow, so noise echoes throughout. And I had just heard about someone collapsing,” Lee told WYFF. “And then afterwards there was talk about cardiac arrest. I can’t confirm any of that. That’s just what I’ve heard.”

A 911 call made at 1.51pm Sunday included a female dispatcher describing Panettiere as suffering a “cardiac arrest.” Moments later, a male dispatcher could be heard referring to a suspected overdose at the home.

Trip to South Carolina

Panettiere and her former boyfriend, real estate agent Brian Hickerson, were reportedly in South Carolina after flying there from Los Angeles one day before her death.

Public records show that Hickerson is originally from Greenville, although it remains unclear whether the pair had traveled there to visit his family.

The timing also placed Panettiere near The Foundry, a music venue inside the Judson Mill Lofts complex. Her former Nashville co-star Charles Esten performed there on Friday night as part of his Carolina Tour.

Judson Mill Lofts is housed in a former textile mill dating to 1912 that was recently converted into apartments. The complex includes studios and three-bedroom homes, with rents ranging from $1,295 to $3,485 per month.

Family remembers Panettiere

Following her death, a representative for Panettiere said her family would remember her as an “incredible light” who brought “immeasurable love and joy” to those around her.

Her father, Skip, also released a statement expressing the family’s grief.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” he said.

“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.”

Skip also asked for privacy as the family takes time to process what he described as an “unimaginable loss.”