Who Will Inherit Hayden Panettiere's Massive Fortune? What We Know About Her Estate
Celebrities pass away every year, but losing Hayden Panettiere in 2026 is probably one of the hardest celebrity deaths to bear. The "Nashville" star was only days away from her 37th birthday when she passed away in South Carolina from a mixture of fentanyl and prescription drugs. Naturally, the public is curious about what's next for Hayden's family, including who will inherit her massive fortune.
Hayden is survived by her daughter Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, whom she shared with heavyweight boxer and her ex-fiance Wladimir Klitschko, as well as her parents Alan "Skip" Panettiere and Lesley Vogel. Her younger brother Jansen Panettiere died in 2023 from an enlarged heart. Legal experts told People in August 2026 that it's very likely that Kaya will inherit the actor's estate, but the details of how she would get it depends on whether or not Hayden had a will or trust.
"If she has a trust, then it would be paid to the trust estate, and the trust would distribute to the beneficiaries," LA-based attorney Jonathan Forster said. "If she died with a will, it would go through the California probate process and it would go to the people named in her will. And if she died without a will, it would go in accordance with the California laws of intestacy, and her daughter would receive everything." It's very unlikely for Hayden's parents to inherit under the intestacy laws, but according to entertainment lawyer Jordan Matthews, if there's no trust, they could plead to be guardians of the estate, since Kaya was just 11 at the time of her mom's death. "That seems unlikely, since the father has sole custody of Kaya, but it is possible," he said.
Panettiere's daughter might inherit even later if there's a trust
When a child's parent dies, they won't receive their inheritance the way an adult would. Hayden Panettiere's daughter Kaya Klitschko has to be at least 18 when she gains control of her inheritance, but that could happen later if her mother has a trust. Attorney Jonathan Forster told People that if a trust is set to delay the time Kaya receives the inheritance, she could receive payments of it instead of receiving it all at once, until "age 25 or 30 or for [Kaya's] entire lifetime."
On the other hand, Panettiere will likely earn residual checks in death through her work in showbiz, despite not acting much after the "Nashville" finale, as well as royalties from her memoir. Marc M. Stern, an estate planning attorney, said these funds will be incorporated into the estate along with Panettiere's bank accounts and properties. Entertainment lawyer Jordan Matthews added that the guardian of the inheritance must handle the posthumous payments on Kaya's behalf. He said, "This obligation includes collecting residuals, if any, based on any of Hayden's roles on certain shows and films." Ultimately, it will take time for the public to know the exact fate of the child star's estate, which is probably good for her family's privacy as they deal with her untimely passing.