Hayden Panettiere\u2018s former fianc\u00e9, Wladimir Klitschko, was granted temporary guardianship of her estate on Friday, following the actor\u2019s sudden death in August.<\/p>\n
Klitschko appeared in virtual court on Thursday alongside their 11-year-old daughter Kaya, according to People<\/a>.<\/p>\n Kaya is the sole heir of the estate of the \u201cHeroes\u201d star, who on Aug. 16 was found unresponsive in a Greenville, S.C., residence. The Greenville County Coroner\u2019s Office ruled the death an accidental overdose<\/a> involving several drugs, including fentanyl.<\/p>\n Klitschko filed a petition<\/a> in a Los Angeles County court on Sept. 24, requesting that he be allowed to act as Kaya\u2019s representative. The Ukrainian boxer and Olympic gold medalist has had full custody of their daughter since 2018.<\/p>\n The filing cites items that were seized from her home in a federal investigation<\/a> with no assurance that they will be returned, as well as unauthorized people who gained access to her Los Angeles residence.<\/p>\n \u201cWithout an immediate appointment for these purposes, there is a high probability that property belonging to Hayden\u2019s Estate may be lost, damaged or dissipated before a duly appointed personal representative can be in place to protect it,\u201d the filing stated.<\/p>\n According to the petition, Panettiere and Klitschko hired security before her death to protect her home because an unnamed person gained access inside. Her ex-fianc\u00e9 feared that the same person would continue to \u201cmisappropriate\u201d items belonging to the actor\u2019s estate.<\/p>\n A day before their Oct. 8 court date, Klitschko submitted a supplemental claim to the earlier petition where he believed someone from outside of Panettiere\u2019s family was selling some of her possessions, including jewelry, to a pawn shop, per ABC News<\/a>.<\/p>\n In addition to seeking guardianship, Klitschko also asked the courts to grant him the ability to \u201crequest and authorize law enforcement investigation into the recovery of Hayden\u2019s property believed to have been misappropriated.\u201d<\/p>\n Panettiere and Klitschko had an on-and-off relationship between 2009 and 2018 and were briefly engaged in 2013. In 2014, the \u201cNashville\u201d and \u201cIce Princess\u201d star welcomed their daughter, but relinquished full custody to Klitschko in 2018 due to her struggles with postpartum depression and substance abuse.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was the hardest thing I could do,\u201d she said during a 2022 appearance<\/a> on \u201cRed Table Talk.\u201d \u201cBut the best thing for my daughter was to make sure she was OK, take care of myself and make sure I could be a good mom to her. And sometimes that means letting go.\u201d<\/p>\n Klitschko has always spoken highly of Panettiere, lamenting his loss<\/a> on Instagram, where he shared a picture of the two with Kaya (with an orange dot covering her face) on Aug. 18<\/a>. In his post, he stated that the family was going through \u201cprofound shock and grief.\u201d He also acknowledged his ex-fianc\u00e9\u2019s experience navigating demands of the entertainment industry.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives,\u201d he wrote in the Instagram caption<\/a>. \u201cTo our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was.\u201d<\/p>\n The next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 7, when permanent guardianship of the estate will be decided; however Kaya does not need to be present.<\/p>\n Times staff writer Alexandra Del Rosario contributed to this report.<\/p>\n