Hayden Panettiere Was Painfully Honest About Her Postpartum Struggles

This article includes discussion of substance use and mental health issues.

Hayden Panettiere started in Hollywood when she was only 11 months old. As such, we got to see Panettiere transform before our eyes as she came of age on-screen. She played the football-loving daughter of the assistant coach on "Remember the Titans," and she was the star of TV shows like "Heroes" and "Nashville." However, the superstar dealt with some serious personal issues behind the scenes, particularly after the 2014 birth of her daughter Kaya, whom she shared with former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko. Panettiere had postpartum depression, and she was very candid about some of the pain and challenges that she faced during that time.

Kaya's birth wasn't an easy one, and Panettiere almost died during labor. Things didn't get any easier when she finally met her daughter. In an excerpt from her 2026 memoir "This Is Me: A Reckoning" published by The Cut, Panettiere wrote, "I had always heard that mothers feel an instant rush of love the moment they lay their eyes on their baby, but I felt nothing. Kaya was just there, and now I had to figure out how to bond with her. It felt like an insurmountable task, and I was only on the first day."

Panettiere was later diagnosed with postpartum depression, which can manifest in different ways for different women. On an episode of the "Jay Shetty Podcast" from May 2026, Panettiere explained how it played out for her: "I wasn't connecting with her the way that I knew I should be and that I was full of stress and anxiety all the time. ... I was miserable. I was in tears all the time."

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

One of the first times Hayden Panettiere spoke publicly about postpartum depression was on "Live with Kelly and Michael" in 2015. During the interview, she noted how much stigma there is around it, saying, "It's something I think that needs to be talked about and women need to know that they're not alone. ... It's something that's completely uncontrollable, and it's really painful, and it's really scary." Panettiere later said on the "Jay Shetty Podcast" that talking about her struggles so publicly is what led to Neutrogena dropping her as a spokesperson. However, she continued to speak out about it, emphasizing how women should ask for help when they need it.

For a time, Panettiere used alcohol to try to help make things better with her postpartum depression; however, she knew that wasn't a sustainable or healthy way to deal with it. She went to treatment a couple of different times for postpartum depression, and she posted about getting help on X (formerly known as Twitter) in May 2016: "The postpartum depression I have been experiencing has impacted every aspect of my life. Rather than stay stuck due to unhealthy coping mechanisms I have chosen to take time to reflect holistically on my health and life. Wish me luck!"

She also went to treatment for addiction a number of times, which is part of why you didn't see Panettiere acting much after "Nashville." In 2018, Panettiere ended up giving custody of Kaya to Wladimir Klitschko, though she still maintained a loving relationship with her. Panettiere died on August 16, 2026, at the age of 36.