Hayden Panettiere would have turned 37 years old today.
Marking the special occasion on Friday, August 21, her ex-fiance Wladimir Klitschko — who is also the father of her only child — took to Instagram with a bittersweet tribute.
“Today is Hayden’s birthday. Instead of celebrating the way we had planned, today we celebrate her life, her spirit, and the love she brought into this world,” the Ukrainian former boxer wrote alongside a radiant picture of the late Heroes star.
Klitschko went on to thank fans for “the outpouring of love and support,” adding, “At a time filled with so much sadness, your kindness has reminded me that there is still so much good in humanity.”
The birthday tribute ended with a request to fans: “If you’re reading this, I ask just one thing: even if only for a moment, think about LOVE. Reach out to a friend. Forgive someone. Be kind. Love is a superpower. Use it.”
Panettiere and Klitschko, 50, dated on and off between 2009 and 2018. The former couple welcomed their daughter, Kaya, in 2014, a year after they got engaged. However, they split up for good in 2018, and Panettiere made the “difficult decision” to hand over full custody of Kaya to Klitschko due to her struggles with post-partum depression and substance abuse.
The beloved actress was found dead on August 16 in an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina, where her on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson was also present with his brother, Zach Hickerson.
Klitschko mourned Panettiere in a tribute following her death and made a promise for their daughter. “To our daughter Kaya,” he wrote, “I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was.”
