The athlete celebrated the “Scream” star on what would have been her 37th birthday.

Hayden Panettiere’s ex Wladimir Klitschko shares birthday tribute to late actress

The athlete celebrated the “Scream” star on what would have been her 37th birthday.

By Daysia Tolentino

Daysia Tolentino

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August 21, 2026 1:09 p.m. ET

Wladimir Klitschko and Hayden Panettiere attend the 34th Annual Sports Emmy Awards on May 7, 2013. Credit:

Marc Bryan-Brown/WireImage

- Wladimir Klitschko paid tribute to his ex-fiancé Hayden Panettiere on her birthday on Aug. 21.

- Panettiere died at the age of 36 on Aug. 16.

- “You are loved, you are missed, and you will never be forgotten,” Klitschko wrote.

Hayden Panettiere’s ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko is celebrating the late actress on her birthday.

Klitschko paid tribute to Panettiere — who would have turned 37 on Friday — on social media, thanking fans for their support as he and their daughter, Kaya, navigate the loss.

“Instead of celebrating the way we had planned, today we celebrate her life, her spirit, and the love she brought into this world,” he wrote. “I want to thank all of Hayden’s fans, friends, and everyone who has reached out for the incredible outpouring of love and support. At a time filled with so much sadness, your kindness has reminded me that there is still so much good in humanity.”

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The *Heroes *actress, whose cause of death has not yet been determined, died at the age of 36 on Aug. 16. A report from coroner Mike Ellis obtained by EW on Monday confirmed that Panettiere had been found “unresponsive” and “in cardiac arrest” when authorities arrived on the scene in Greenville, S.C.

In his tribute post, Klitschko urged people to keep their loved ones close and share the love while they’re still alive.

“Reach out to a friend,” he continued. “Forgive someone. Be kind. Love is a superpower. Use it.”

Hayden Panettiere and Wladimir Klitschko attend the Ein Herz Fuer Kinder Gala 2015.

Franziska Krug/Getty

He concluded his post with one final message to the *Ice Princess* star: “Happy Birthday, Hayden. You are loved, you are missed, and you will never be forgotten.”

In the aftermath of Panettiere’s death, Klitschko shared his reverence for his former fiancée, whom he was engaged to from 2013 to 2018. He noted that “she left this world far too soon.”

Praising her as a talented actress and loving mother, the Ukrainian boxer said she was “an important part of my life.”

“She built an incredible career through immense talent, while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry,” he wrote on Instagram on Tuesday. “Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives. To our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was.”

Hayden Panettiere attends the 2022 amfAR Gala Los Angeles at Pacific Design Center on November 03, 2022.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

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Klitschko has had primary custody of Kaya, who was born in 2014, since the couple’s split in 2018. Panettiere, who had been battling depression and substance abuse, agreed to let Kaya live with him.

While promoting her memoir in May, Panettiere shared insight into her relationship with her now-11-year-old daughter.

“She’s getting to that age where she’s reaching out more and more to mommy, which is beautiful,” she told NPR at the time. “But I feel like I’ve gotten to — we developed a relationship that’s unique and different than most parents get to have with their children.”

As their family grieves Panettiere, Klitschko asked fans to “please respect our family’s feelings and privacy during this incredibly difficult time.”

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