Hayden Panettiere's ex-fiancé and father of her daughter has spoken out following her tragic death ... sharing a heartfelt tribute that promises their child will always remember her.
Wladimir Klitschko shared the touching tribute on Instagram early Tuesday ... posting a throwback selfie with Hayden and their now 11-year-old daughter, Kaya. He wrote this is "a time of profound shock and grief" for their family and called Hayden "an important part" of his life.
He celebrated her success while also highlighting the downside of her fame, penning ... "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."
Speaking directly to Kaya, he added ... "I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was."
There was no shortage of A-listers at Karl-Anthony Towns and Jordyn Woods' wedding, but there was someone noticeably absent -- Knicks legend and team exec Allan Houston -- and there's good reason!
TMZ Sportsran into number 20 in Times Square in NYC on Monday, and we asked him about the weekend's nuptials.
Hayden Panettiere packed a lot into her 36 years before her sudden and tragic death ... and TMZ is taking you back through all of her notable moments ... both good and bad.
Hayden is born in Palisades, New York -- a town just 25 miles from New York City -- to actress Lesley R. Vogel and NYC fire captain Alan Lee Panettiere. She is the first of the couple's two children.
Early Career -- 1990s
Hayden begins her acting career early ... earning her first role in a commercial for a Playskool toy train in 1990, less than a year after her birth.
Hayden Panettiere was found dead by a friend inside a South Carolina home ... and Emergency Medical Service workers responded to a call about a person in "cardiac arrest" and an "unresponsive female," TMZ has learned.
Law enforcement sources tell us ... Hayden's friend called 911 at 1:51 PM Sunday to report that the actress was unresponsive and in cardiac arrest inside the residence in Greenville, SC.
TMZ obtained the dispatch audio of responders sending medics to her location to perform CPR on someone who overdosed, which you can hear above. Page Six was first to report.
It's unclear if Hayden's on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson placed the call.
We're told Greenville police officers and EMS workers quickly responded, and paramedics attempted to resuscitate Hayden using "advanced cardiac life support." Our sources say this treatment builds on CPR by adding special medicines, breathing tubes, and heart rhythm tracking.
8/17/2026 6:32 AM PT -- TMZ has obtained photos of the emergency response that showed up at the scene.
8/17/2026 3:45 AM PT --Hayden Panettiere was found dead by a friend inside a South Carolina home ... Emergency Medical Service workers responded to a call that came in of a person in "cardiac arrest" and an "unresponsive female," TMZ has learned.
8:33 PM PT -- Law enforcement sources confirm police responded to an incident involving Hayden Sunday, and there is currently an open investigation.
8:20 PM PT -- A source close to Hayden tells TMZ ... she recently had been complaining about back pain in the past year.
Hayden Panettiere, best known for her roles in "Heroes" and "Nashville," has died at 36, TMZ has learned.
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Hayden passed away earlier on Sunday. We're told she and her on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson flew from Los Angeles to the south on Saturday. Sources tell us Brian's family is aware.
"It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. 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," her rep said in a statement to ABC News.
Hayden became a household name as a child actress before landing her breakout role as cheerleader Claire Bennet on NBC's "Heroes." She later starred as country singer Juliette Barnes on "Nashville," earning multiple award nominations for her performance.
3:30 PM -- Not so fast -- Jeanie Buss' attorney just fired back with a letter to her siblings' legal teams ... stating the sale CANNOT happen.
In the letter, Adam Streisand cited a court order that states a sale can't be made without Jeanie's approval ... making the vote that was reported on Monday "void." It also stated Jeanie must remain the Lakers' owner for life.
"On behalf of Jeanie Buss, I demand that your clients make clear publicly that Jeanie Buss is the Controlling Owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and that your clients shall take no action on this supposed 'vote' to sell the 17.8% stake," Streisand wrote, according to CNBC.
He also accused Joey and Jesse of feeding Shams Charania bad info maliciously ... claiming they have a "years-long pattern" of doing so.
It truly is a new era for the Los Angeles Lakers -- the Buss family has sold its remaining 17.8% stake in the team to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner.
According to Shams Charania, the Buss family trust, which consists of Jeanie, Jim, Johnny, Jamie, Joey and Jesse, recently received the necessary votes to push the sale through.
As a result of the transaction, Jeanie will no longer serve as governor of the Lakers, as at least 15-percent ownership is required to hold the position.
Big development in the NBA’s long-running investigation into the Kawhi Leonard salary-cap scandal ... and it’s good news for billionaire Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, at least according to ESPN.
The league found no evidence that Ballmer funneled money through team sponsors to pay Kawhi off the books to dodge the salary cap, according to a report from the outlet.
But the NBA is pushing back, saying the story "contains numerous and significant inaccuracies."
Hayden Panettiere spoke lovingly about her daughter in one of her final interviews ... hoping her child would someday understand their many years apart.
The actress opened up to parenting magazine Momé in July -- just weeks before her death -- recalling the traumatic birth of her now-11-year-old daughter, Kaya, and the painful custody decision that followed.
Hayden said she nearly died when she gave birth to Kaya in December 2014 ... she needed seven blood transfusions and three hours of surgery.
If Enes Kanter Freedom didn't already have enemies in the WNBA, he certainly has one now ... 'cause the former NBA center says his first order of business in the league is dunking on Angel Reese.
The 2027 WNBA Draft hopeful went to social media to react to the Atlanta Dream star's missed game-winning layup against Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever on Sunday ... and suggested she focus on a different career instead of basketball.
"Sis!" EKF said on X. "Once I go No. 1 pick in the 2027 @WNBA Draft, the first player I’m dunking on is Angel Reese. She’s the Paul George of the #WNBA."
Amid Hayden Panettiere's suspected drug overdose death, the fire department and coroner's office raced to the scene -- and TMZ obtained photos of the emergency response.
In one photo, you can see a fire truck parked and multiple ambulances outside the Greenville, South Carolina residence where Hayden took her last breaths.
In another pic, you can see the Greenville County coroner's truck stopped in front of the same building.
Law enforcement sources told TMZ ... Hayden's body was found Sunday inside an apartment by a friend, who then called 911 to report that the actress was unresponsive and in cardiac arrest.
Geno Auriemma is revisiting his historic run with the Huskies in a new doc ... and the legendary UCONN coach says the experience left him feeling a whole range of emotions.
“Some of it brought back some great memories. Some of it was a little bit painful to look at," the 12x National Champion winning coach told Babcock, adding, "You shake your head and you're like, 'What are you thinking,' you know?”
Like what? "Some of the dumbass things that I said."
Hayden Panettiere was looking forward to a fresh start just three months before her death ... saying she felt she had "a lot more life to live."
Hayden made the heartbreaking comment on Jay Shetty's "On Purpose" podcast in May ... telling him she felt like she had finally shaken off the darkness and negativity that followed her for years.
Asked what she would call her next chapter after releasing her memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," Hayden said she wasn't ready to name it ... but felt one door had closed and another had opened.
Karl-Anthony Towns has another ring to celebrate ... tying the knot with Jordyn Woods at a Malibu wedding with enough star power to fill several courtside rows.
The longtime couple exchanged vows Saturday during an outdoor ceremony overlooking the Pacific Ocean ... surrounded by an elaborate spread of white flowers and their family and closest friends.
The black-tie ceremony may have been intimate, but the guest list was anything but low-key ... with some of Hollywood's biggest names dressing in black for the occasion.
Gene Simmons threw four ceremonial first pitches Saturday night at Angel Stadium ... and the Angels used his shot at a fifth to troll Jayden Daniels over the Commanders QB's fight to protect his old No. 5 jersey at LSU.
The team piled on after the performance ... posting a photo of Simmons on X and joking, "He asked to throw a 5th pitch but we had to say no out of respect for Jayden Daniels."
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The punch line was aimed squarely at Daniels' ongoing dispute with LSU ... after the school gave his former No. 5 to sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett.
Chrisean Rock wasn't inside the ring Saturday night ... but she took her sister Tesehki's loss like it was her own.
Chrisean livestreamed herself watching the fight and became increasingly emotional as Big Lex took control ... eventually breaking down in tears. At one point, she turned to her viewers and asked, “Why do I feel like I lost?”
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Big Lex ultimately defeated Tesehki by unanimous decision after three rounds at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena ... winning all three judges' scorecards and claiming the "Baddies" championship.
Cristiano Ronaldo is preparing to hang up his cleats ... revealing this will probably be his final year of soccer after a quarter-century on the pitch.
The bombshell came almost as an aside during a joint Vogueinterview with his new wife, Georgina Rodríguez. When the newlyweds were asked whether marriage would change anything, Ronaldo announced ... "This is probably my last year of football, and I want to leave a spectacular legacy."
The 41-year-old superstar says he already has his post-soccer future mapped out ... acknowledging the game could leave a major hole in his life, but saying he plans to fill his time with family, travel, padel and simply enjoying everything he and Georgina have earned.
