Oct. 8, 2026Updated Oct. 9, 2026, 7:53 a.m. ET
Hayden Panettiere‘s daughter, Kaya, made a rare court appearance amid the legal dispute over her mother’s estate.
The 11-year-old attended the Los Angeles Superior Court hearing virtually on Oct. 8 alongside her father, Wladimir Klitschko, Panettiere’s former fiancé, according to The Associated Press and People. Kaya reportedly briefly appeared on camera to confirm her identity to the judge.
She was “soft-spoken and composed,” People reported. The proceedings centered on Klitschko’s request for “immediate” guardianship of Panettiere’s estate on behalf of Kaya, the sole beneficiary, alleging “non-family members” have been misappropriating the “Nashville” star’s property.
The judge ultimately granted Klitschko temporary guardianship of the estate and set another court date for Dec. 7, noting Kaya would not need to be present.
Wladimir Klitschko alleges Hayden Panettiere’s estate is at risk
Panettiere met Klitschko in 2009. The couple were engaged in 2013 and welcomed Kaya the following year before splitting in 2018. The former boxing champion later obtained full custody.
Panettiere died Aug. 16 at age 36. The Greenville County Coroner’s Office ruled that her death resulted from the “toxic effects of fentanyl, 4-ANPP, Alprazolam, Methocarbamol and Quetiapine.”
Klitschko filed his petition for temporary guardianship of the estate on Sept. 24, stating he “is informed and believes that non-family members previously connected to Hayden have accessed and destroyed Hayden’s emails” and “certain items of personal property belonging to Hayden, including jewelry, have disappeared or remain unaccounted for,” according to documents previously obtained by USA TODAY.
The filing said his appointment was “urgent and essential” so he could have “the necessary standing to file Hayden’s probate petition, and the power to nominate a proposed administrator of Hayden’s Estate.” Without Klitschko in that position, the petition alleged, there is a “high probability that property belonging to Hayden’s estate may be lost, damaged or dissipated before a duly appointed personal representative can be in place to protect it.”
Amid the investigation into Panettiere’s death, federal agents have accessed her Los Angeles home “and removed property,” according to Klitschko. But there is currently no one “authorized to safeguard the interests of Hayden’s estate in connection with the investigation, including the return of estate property once it is no longer needed by investigators, and to interface with investigators on behalf of Haden’s estate.”
The filing further alleged that Panettiere hired a security service to protect her home due to “a documented concern that an individual had gained unauthorized access to Hayden’s property.” After she died, the home’s locks were allegedly changed and her “designer clothing and accessories worn to public appearances have been relocated as a precaution.”
Still, the petition added that “it is expected that the individual will continue to try and misappropriate property belonging to Hayden’s Estate.”
During the Oct. 8 hearing, Klitschko’s lawyers reportedly said he will use his power as temporary guardian to “request” and “authorize” law enforcement to investigate and aid in the recovery of the misappropriated property.
Contributing: KiMi Robinson
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