Hayden Panettiere slams claim she ‘abandoned’ daughter amid addiction issues
Hayden Panettiere is mum to daughter Kaya (Getty Images | X/haydenpanettier)
Hayden Panettiere has hit back at the suggestion she “abandoned” her 11-year-old daughter during her struggle with addiction and post-partum depression.
The Heroes icon, who last week came out as bisexual, shares daughter Kaya with boxer Wladimir Klitschko, after they dated on-and-off between 2009 and 2018. Panettiere gave full custody of their daughter to Klitschko in 2018 due to her struggles.
Now, speaking on the latest episode of the On Purpose podcast, the 36-year-old slammed the claim that she just “abandoned” her little girl.
She said: “The idea that anybody would think that I would just give away my child and be OK with it is heartbreaking.”
The actress continued: “It couldn’t be further from the truth,” adding: “It became this horrible cycle for years of battling depression and anxiety and alcoholism and substance abuse and just me trying to find my way back.”
Panettiere explained that Klitschko asked that Kaya live with him in Ukraine, when she was two.
She said: “I did not have a good reaction to it. I went like mother lion. I would’ve burnt the world down for my child. So that was incredibly difficult.”
Since, Kaya has grown to have a “beautiful life”, making friends and getting involved in activities, like riding horses and learning five languages
Panettiere said: “By the time I finally got healthy, I felt like it would have been unfair of me to and selfish of me to try and pull her out and away from this life that she had created.”
She said the duo have an “incredible relationship” now, with Panettiere going to see her as much as possible. When they can’t visit, they “spend a lot of time on FaceTime” together.
“In no way [does] she feel abandoned,” Panettiere added of their “incredible” bond.
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