Hayden Panettiere's Daughter Named Sole Heir as Ex-Fiancé Makes Urgent Court Bid to Protect Her Inheritance

Kaya Klitschko, Hayden Panettiere's 11-year-old daughter, has become the focus of an urgent legal move involving her late mother's estate, after her father and Panettiere's former fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko, asked a Los Angeles court for temporary authority to protect the child's inheritance.

Klitschko filed the petition on 24 September, seeking to be appointed temporary guardian of Kaya's estate while Panettiere's probate proceedings move forward. Court documents cited by the Associated Press and USA TODAY identify Kaya as Panettiere's sole heir, with the filing stating that she is entitled to the entirety of her mother's probate estate.

Klitschko Seeks Control Over Daughter's Inheritance

The former heavyweight champion argues that immediate action is necessary because property belonging to Panettiere's estate could be lost, damaged or dissipated before a permanent representative is appointed. His filing asks for temporary authority over Kaya's estate so her interests can be represented while the probate process moves forward.

The court papers also raise concerns about items connected to an ongoing federal investigation. Klitschko said federal agents had entered Panettiere's Los Angeles home after her death and taken property belonging to the estate. He argued that, without someone formally authorised to act on Kaya's behalf, there was no person with the legal authority to safeguard the property and seek its return once the investigation ends.

Concerns Over Missing Property

Klitschko's petition describes security measures that had already been taken before Panettiere died. According to the filing, the actress and Klitschko had hired a security service after concerns that an unnamed person had entered her property without permission. Following her death, the locks were changed and storage containing clothing and accessories associated with Panettiere's public appearances was moved as a precaution.

The filing also alleges that some personal possessions, including jewellery, have either disappeared or cannot currently be accounted for. Klitschko further raised concerns that people outside Panettiere's family had accessed and destroyed some of her emails. These are allegations contained in the court filing and have not been established as findings by a judge.

Kaya Named As Panettiere's Sole Heir

Kaya, whom Panettiere shared with Klitschko, has lived primarily with her father for much of her childhood. The former couple began dating in 2009, became engaged in 2013 and welcomed Kaya in 2014. Panettiere signed over full custody of Kaya to Klitschko in 2018. The actress later described the decision as deeply painful and said she had initially expected her daughter to return from Ukraine.

Panettiere died on 16 August at the age of 36. The Greenville County Coroner's Office determined that her death resulted from an accidental overdose involving multiple drugs, including fentanyl. Her death left Kaya as her only child and prompted the current legal proceedings concerning the actress' property.

A hearing regarding Klitschko's request for guardianship is scheduled for 7 December, according to the court filing cited by E! News. Until the court rules on the petition and a longer-term representative is established, the dispute over how Panettiere's estate should be protected remains before the probate court.