Wladimir Klitschko, the former fiancé of actress Hayden Panettiere, has filed an urgent petition asking a California court to allow him to act as the temporary representative of their 11-year-old daughter’s estate.
The petition seeks to protect Kaya’s inheritance after the death of her mother. Kaya is Panettiere’s sole heir, according to the filing, and Klitschko has had full custody of her for most of her life. The girl has lived with him in Ukraine and went to live with him full-time when she was two.
Klitschko’s lawyers filed the petition on Thursday in Los Angeles County court. The filing did not become publicly known until Monday, when it was reported by TMZ.
The petition describes the request as “urgent and essential”, arguing that Klitschko should receive the legal status of temporary guardian of his daughter’s estate while a permanent administrator is appointed.
“Without an immediate appointment for these purposes, there is a high probability that property belonging to Hayden’s Estate may be lost, damaged or dissipated before a duly appointed personal representative can be in place to protect it,” the filing says.
The filing cites property seized by federal agents as part of an investigation into Panettiere’s death. It also refers to unnamed and unauthorised people who allegedly accessed her Los Angeles residence, as well as valuables that are missing.
According to the petition, Panettiere and Klitschko had hired security before her death because an unnamed person had gained unauthorised access to her home. The filing says it is expected that the same person will continue trying to “misappropriate” property belonging to Panettiere’s estate.
Klitschko’s lawyers say his intention is solely to protect his daughter’s future assets until a permanent administrator can be put in place. The petition also says that federal agents have taken Panettiere’s property and that there is currently no authorised person available to deal with the authorities and ensure that the property is returned.
A hearing on the request is scheduled for October 8.
Panettiere, who was known for her roles in the television series “Heroes” and “Nashville”, died on August 16 at the age of 36. A coroner’s report obtained by The Associated Press said her death resulted from an accidental overdose involving several drugs, including fentanyl. The report also said she had been in rehabilitation just weeks earlier.
She was found unresponsive in an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina.
In a memoir released earlier this year, Panettiere acknowledged that she had been addicted to alcohol and had experienced postpartum depression after Kaya’s birth in 2014. Her father told investigators that Panettiere had planned to visit her daughter in Ukraine days after her death.
Klitschko, 50, is a Ukrainian former world champion boxer and Olympic gold medallist. He held several heavyweight titles between 2000 and 2015. He and Panettiere began dating in 2009 and became engaged in 2013.
Klitschko’s older brother, Vitali Klitschko, is also a former champion boxer and is mayor of Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. The brothers, who are sons of a Soviet major general, have worked to protect their country during its war with Russia.
The court has not yet ruled on Klitschko’s request for temporary authority over the estate.
