Hayden Panettiere is opening up about the decision to give up custody of her daughter, and the "heartbreaking" suggestion that she abandoned her.
The "Scream VI" star detailed the move to give over full custody to her daughter Kaya's father, Wladimir Klitschko, in 2018 following a battle with postpartum depression and addiction during an appearance on Jay Shetty's "On Purpose" podcast on Monday, May 11. The actress is set to release a memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," Tuesday, May 19.
"The idea that anybody would think that I would just give away my child and be OK with it is heartbreaking," she told Shetty. "It couldn't be further from the truth. It became this horrible cycle for years of battling depression and anxiety and alcoholism and substance abuse, and just me trying to find my way back."
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The "Heroes" actress, 36, shares 11-year-old daughter Kaya with former fiancé Klitschko, a Ukrainian former professional boxer.
