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Hayden Panettiere Didn't Have A Say In Giving Up Custody Of Daughter

Home / Stars / Hayden Panettiere Didn't Have A Say In Giving Up Custody Of Daughter

By MLC on September 27, 2022 at 4:15 PM PDT

Hayden Panettiere is the latest guest to join the “Red Table Talk” discussion.

The actress joined Jada Pinkett Smith, Adrienne Banfield-Norris and guest co-host, Kelly Osbourne.

In a sneak peek clip obtained by PEOPLE, Hayden opens up about the loss of custody of her daughter, Kaya, to ex-fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko.

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Hayden Talks About Custody Battle Loss On "Red Table Talk"

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Hayden has struggled with opioid and alcohol addiction.

She told the ladies of ‘RTT’ that there “wasn’t a discussion” regarding which parent would retain full custody of Kaya.

Hayden claims Klitschko did not “come to” her, nor did he share his reasoning for why “it would be good” for Kaya to live with him.

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Hayden Claims She Had ZERO Say In Custody Hearings

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“If he had … I would’ve said, ‘OK, that makes sense, I get it, I’ll come there to visit and stuff like that,'” she said.

Klitschko lives in Ukraine with their daughter.

She also recalled the “very upsetting” moment she signed over papers to give her ex full custody.

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Hayden defines that moment as “the worst” and “most heartbreaking thing” she has ever gone through.

Klitschko and Hayden welcomed Kaya in December 2014. Four years later, their little one was sent to live with the former boxer in Ukraine.

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Hayden's Daughter Lives Overseas With Klitschko

Hayden Panettiere's daughter Kaya is no longer in Ukraine
Instagram | Hayden Panettiere

Hayden was going through the thick of her addiction when her daughter was taken away.

“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,” she explained to PEOPLE in July. “And sometimes that means letting go.

In that same July interview, she admitted to spending years battling her addiction and postpartum depression as well.

Hayden told the outlet, “I was on top of the world and I ruined it. I’d think I hit rock bottom, but then there’s that trap door that opens.”

The actress’ addiction got so out of hand that she had to make the decision to let go of her daughter.

“My daughter went to live in Ukraine between Ukraine and Germany and I got to go over and see her as much as I wanted,” an emotional Panettiere admitted to People. “But I knew that she… that the best thing that I could do, the hardest thing that I could do, the best thing I could do for my daughter was to make sure that she was… to make sure that she was okay.”

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The former “Nashville” actress admitted that she had to “take care of myself and make sure that I could be you know a good mom,” before getting choked up.

Hear Hayden’s Emotional Story

She continued to say while holding back tears, “That sometimes means you have to let them go and let them have… she has a beautiful life and I was just with her, and she’s an amazing child and she’s smart and she’s funny and she for whatever reason still loves me.”

Hayden also admitted that she underwent both trauma therapy and in-patient treatment in the past year.

“I put a lot of work into myself and I had to be willing to be incredibly honest,” she said, adding that her recovery “hasn’t been easy and there were a lot of ups and downs.”

She continued, “But I don’t regret even the ugliest things that have happened to me. I feel incredibly accomplished. And I feel like I have a second chance.”

Hayden is now sober and has a happy bond with Kaya.

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