Hayden Panettiere Shares What She Doesn't Want Her Daughter Kaya, 11, to Take Away from Her Memoir
Hayden Panettiere Shares What She Doesn't Want Her Daughter Kaya, 11, to Take Away from Her Memoir
Hannah Sacks, Deirdre DurkanWed, May 27, 2026 at 7:58 PM UTC
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Hayden Panettiere
Credit: Jon Kopaloff/Getty
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Hayden Panettiere hopes her daughter Kaya never feels responsible for the struggles detailed in her memoir
The actress opened up about signing over custody to Wladimir Klitschko while seeking treatment for substance abuse
Panettiere describes herself as a "mother lion" and says the decision to live apart from Kaya was heartbreaking
There's one thing Hayden Panettiere is hoping her daughter doesn't take away from her memoir.
At an event to discuss her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning in Los Angeles, Calif., the actress, 36, was asked what she hopes her daughter Kaya, 11, eventually understands from her book.
"I don't want her ever to read it and think any of it was her fault," said Panettiere, who shares her daughter with ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko.
"I love her so dearly. [It's a lot for an] 11-year-old to process that," she added. "I'll continue protecting her, especially while she's young."
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This Is Me A Reckoning by Hayden Panettiere
Credit: Grand Central Publishing
Throughout her book, which was published on May 19, Panettiere recounts a series of shocking and emotional experiences, from alleged encounters with powerful Hollywood figures to the painful decision to allow her daughter Kaya to primarily live with ex Wladimir Klitschko.
She also reflects on navigating fame at a young age, her romantic relationships and the death of her younger brother, Jansen.
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Earlier this month, Panettiere appeared on Jay Shetty's podcast On Purposeand addressed the "heartbreaking" claims that she "gave away" her child after she signed over custody to Klitschko in 2018.
"I mean, the idea that anybody would think that I would just give away my child and be okay with it is heartbreaking. Couldn't be farther from the truth," she said.
The Nashville star also shared that she was struggling with her mental health and substance abuse, and felt like she had completely lost herself.
"I think a misconception is that I have been, in the past, forced into treatment when, in fact, I have been the one who has sought it out. Who was saying I desperately need help?" said Panettiere.
The actress called herself a "mother lion" and said she would have "burnt the whole world down" for Kaya. But Klitschko felt it was best that their daughter live in Europe while Panettiere sought treatment for alcoholism and substance abuse.
"That was incredibly difficult. The fact that my child wasn't going to be with me all day, every day was...you can't put words to it. It's just a really intense feeling or multiple feelings really layered together," said Panettiere.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
