Hayden Panettiere opened up about her daughter Kaya in one of her final interviews, sharing an emotional look at their relationship after years of living apart.

The actress spoke with deep pride about her only child and said she hoped Kaya would one day understand the painful decisions she made while struggling with postpartum depression and addiction.

“I love my daughter, and I’m so proud of the young woman she is becoming,” Panettiere said.

Kaya, now 11, was born in December 2014 to Panettiere and her former fiancé, boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko. Panettiere described her daughter as her “mini-me” and said they remained close despite the distance between them.

Motherhood began under heartbreaking circumstances for the actress. During Kaya’s birth, Panettiere suffered a severe hemorrhage that required seven blood transfusions and another operation. She later struggled with postpartum depression and found herself turning to alcohol to cope with the emptiness she was experiencing.

Her addiction eventually became severe enough that she entered treatment while Kaya was still a baby. Panettiere later said she believed her depression had not been properly addressed when she first sought help.

As her struggles continued, so did the challenges surrounding her relationship with Klitschko and her ability to care for Kaya.

In 2018, Klitschko was granted full custody, and Kaya began living primarily with her father in Europe. Panettiere later described signing the custody papers as the most heartbreaking decision she had ever made.

She insisted, however, that she never simply abandoned her daughter.

During a 2022 appearance on Red Table Talk, Panettiere explained that she had initially believed the custody arrangement would only be temporary while she recovered. Years later, she acknowledged that things had not turned out the way she once hoped.

Hayden gave up custody of her only daughter Kaya when the girl was 11 years old after an on-again, off-again relationship with ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko

By the time of her final interviews, Panettiere said Kaya had created a happy and stable life abroad. She described her daughter as talented and curious, with interests including horses, swimming, piano and chess.

The two also stayed connected through regular calls and FaceTime. Panettiere said they could talk about “really deep things” and described their bond as intense and incredible.

More than anything, the actress wanted Kaya to know that she was loved.

Panettiere said she worked hard to make sure her daughter understood that both of her parents loved her and that she had never been abandoned. She also admitted that she still felt pain over the years they had missed together.

She hoped that, as Kaya grew older, her daughter would understand what her mother had been going through and why they could not always be together.

“I’m a work in progress,” Panettiere said, reflecting on her own recovery and the challenges she continued to face.

In the months before her death, Panettiere had been promoting her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, in which she opened up about addiction, depression, abuse and the pressures of growing up in the spotlight.

During another interview in May, she sounded hopeful about the future and spoke about leaving some of the darkest years of her life behind.

“I have a lot more life to live,” she said.

Sadly, Panettiere died in South Carolina at the age of 36. Her family confirmed her death, with no cause immediately disclosed.

Her final conversations about Kaya now carry an even deeper meaning. Despite the years apart and the struggles that shaped her life, Panettiere made one thing clear: her love for her daughter never disappeared.

Her message to other mothers facing difficult times was simple and hopeful.

“You’re stronger than you know.”