Los Angeles judge gives Wladimir Klitschko temporary authority to recover Hayden Panettiere's missing jewelry
A court in Los Angeles appointed Wladimir Klitschko as temporary guardian of his daughter Kaya’s estate, allowing him to request law-enforcement assistance to retrieve jewelry allegedly taken from the late actress’s estate.
An 11-year-old girl identified as Kaya, the daughter of the late actress Hayden Panettiere, appeared by video at a Los Angeles court hearing on Oct. 8. She greeted Judge Stephanie Santoro, who confirmed her identity before the proceeding continued.
"Was that you, Kaya?" the judge asked. "Yes, that was me," Kaya replied.
Klitschko’s attorney, Diane Park, told the court that a guardian was needed because Kaya is a minor and an investigation into Panettiere’s death is ongoing. The lawyer said law-enforcement currently holds property belonging to the estate that the family wants returned.
"There’s currently an ongoing investigation concerning [Panettiere], so we need to have an administrator appointed to be able to interface with the investigators," Park said.
Park also alleged that a non-family individual had taken personal items, including jewelry, and attempted to sell them at a pawn shop in Los Angeles County.
"We also believe there’s a non-family member associated with [Panettiere] who misappropriated personal property that belongs to the decedent’s estate, and we believe the person has gone to a pawn shop to try to sell what we believe is jewelry," she added.
Judge Santoro granted Klitschko temporary guardianship of his daughter’s estate, authorizing him to file a probate petition, sign Panettiere’s 2025 tax returns, and request police assistance to recover the missing items. The order will remain in effect until a follow-up hearing scheduled for Dec. 7.
Klitschko had previously claimed that unidentified persons had accessed and destroyed Hayden’s emails and that some jewelry was missing, later asserting that the items had already been sold. He warned that without law-enforcement contact, further items could be lost.
Hayden Panettiere died on Aug. 16 from an accidental overdose of fentanyl and other substances, according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office. Toxicology reports also found alprazolam, methocarbamol and quetiapine, with no evidence of physical trauma.