Hayden Panettiere had been looking forward to a deeply personal celebration for her 37th birthday: spending the week with her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, in Germany.
The Heroes star died on August 16 at 36, just five days before her August 21 birthday. A source close to Panettiere told Page Six that she had been eagerly preparing for time with her daughter.
Hayden Panettiere Was ‘So Excited’ for Her Birthday Trip
“She was planning on spending the week of her birthday visiting her daughter in Germany,” the source said. “She was so excited to see her and was telling everyone how much she was looking forward to spending time with her.”
The plans echo what Panettiere’s hairstylist and close friend, Erick Orellana, shared shortly after her death. He said the actress had recently been talking about taking a vacation and making time to see Kaya.
“I last saw her a few months ago,” Orellana told the outlet in an interview on Monday, August 17.
“She was talking about how she wanted to take a vacation, and that she wanted to go and see her daughter. Her daughter was always her absolute priority. She loved her so much.”
Hayden Panettiere’s Daughter Was the ‘Light of Her Life’
Orellana said Panettiere frequently showed him photos of Kaya and proudly shared stories about her. “Her daughter was the absolute light of her life,” he said. “She lit up when she spoke about her. Everything she did revolved around her.”
Panettiere shared Kaya with former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko. Kaya has primarily lived in Europe with her father since 2018, after Panettiere stepped away from full-time parenting amid her struggles with postpartum depression and addiction.
Just months before her death, Panettiere described their relationship as a “really intense, incredible bond” during an appearance on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast.
Wladimir Klitschko Vowed to Keep Hayden Panettiere’s Memory Alive
Following Panettiere’s death, Klitschko shared a tribute to the mother of his daughter.
“The announcement of Hayden’s tragic death saddens me deeply. She left this world far too soon,” he wrote.
Klitschko also promised Kaya would continue to know who her mother was.
“To our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was,” he wrote. The former heavyweight champion closed his message by saying, “Rest easy, Hayden. May you find eternal peace.”
What Is Known About Hayden Panettiere’s Death?
Panettiere was found unresponsive Aug. 16 at Judson Mill Lofts in Greenville, South Carolina. According to a police report obtained by USA Today, Brian Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, called 911.
Emergency medical personnel attempted lifesaving measures before Panettiere was pronounced dead. Dispatch audio obtained by Reuters, TMZ and other outlets referenced cardiac arrest and a possible overdose, though authorities have not announced an official cause of death.
The Greenville Police Department and Greenville County Coroner’s Office continue to investigate. Police have said the preliminary investigation showed no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.
Panettiere’s death came painfully close to a birthday she had expected to spend with Kaya, making the trip she had been anticipating one more reminder of the future she was still planning.
