Hayden Panettiere opens up about giving up custody of her daughter

Content of the article

Hayden Panettiere didn’t know she was losing custody of her daughter.

Content of the article

The 33-year-old actress – who has been candid about her struggles with addiction and depression – has opened up about losing custody of Kaya, now seven, after her daughter moved to Ukraine with the ex of Hayden, Vladimir Klitschko.

Content of the article

In a Red Table Talk clip revealed by Entertainment Tonight, she said: « She was almost three years old, and it wasn’t entirely my decision. In fact, I didn’t even know it was happening until she’s already there.

The Heroes star explained that she realized she had to focus on herself and that the « selfless thing » would be to focus on herself.

She added: « I was trying to tell myself that if I’m not well, if I’m not well, then I can’t be the best mum for you.

« I was going through such a tough time that I knew the most selfless thing I could do was make this tough decision and try to work on myself. »

Content of the article

Hayden – who will later spend eight months in rehab – has already addressed his battle with alcoholism after hitting rock bottom before Kaya moved to live with his father.

She said: ‘I would have the twitches when I woke up and could only function while sipping alcohol.

« It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. But I wanted to be a good mother to her – and sometimes that means letting them go.

While suffering from depression, Hayden made it clear that she « never felt like I wanted to hurt my child », that she « didn’t want to spend time with her ».

Reflecting on her relationship with ex Klitschko – which ended for good in 2018 – she added: « He didn’t want to be with me. I didn’t want to be near me. But with opioids and alcohol, I did anything to feel happy for a moment. Then I would feel worse than before. I was in a cycle of self-destruction.