Hayden Panettiere’s Timeline of Ups and Downs Over the Years

2000

A child star on the rise! Hayden landed her first major role at the age of 5 in 1995 as Sarah Roberts on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live. She then played Lizzie Spaulding on the CBS soap Guiding Light from 1997 through 2000.

2007

Not only did snagging the role of cheerleader Claire Bennet on NBC’s Heroes make Hayden a bonafide star, she also fell in love with costar Milo Ventimiglia. Despite a 12-year age difference, the pair dated for two years before splitting up.

2013

Everything seemed to be looking up for Hayden. She was nominated for Golden Globe Awards in 2012 and 2013 as Best Supporting Actress Series, Miniseries or Television for Nashville. In October 2013, Hayden confirmed her engagement to Ukranian boxer Wladimir Klitschko after a year of dating.

However, she was self-medicating with alcohol while working on Nashville. “I was being told how to be and how to live by so many people in my life,” Hayden told Women’s Health in 2023. “I wanted certain decisions to be my own, and nobody could stop me. What I put in my body was like an act of defiance.”

2014

Hayden became a mom when she and Wladimir welcomed daughter Kaya in December 2014. “We are over the moon and madly in love,” the couple told People magazine about their infant’s birth.

2015

The new mom told Us in September 2015 that she battled postpartum depression after giving birth to Kaya. Hayden went on to take a leave of absence from Nashville to enter a treatment facility to deal with the condition.

“If you think for one second that a mother wants to feel that way toward her child, you’re outta your mind,” she later told Yahoo! Style. “It is one of the most debilitating, scary, guilty feelings that you can ever feel.”

Years later Hayden revealed to Women’s Health that she returned to drinking. “I should have gone on antidepressants [to cope with the postpartum depression], but you have to find the right one that works for you,” she told the outlet. “They don’t mix well with alcohol, and I wasn’t ready to stop drinking.”

2016

After starring in the film Custody, Hayden returned to treatment. “The postpartum depression I have been experiencing has impacted every aspect of my life,” she tweeted at the time. “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!”

What Hayden didn’t reveal at the time was that an old neck injury flared up and had become addicted to opioids. “I was in a lot of pain. My tolerance got so high so fast that it became a problem,” she later told Women’s Health.

2018

Hayden and Wladimir split up for good after having numerous breakups and makeups over the years. Their daughter went to live with him in Ukraine while Hayden battled her demons.

She soon began dating actor Brian Hickerson, which led to future drama. Nashville ended the same year and Hayden quit working in order work on bettering her personal life, but instead returned to drinking heavily.

“My body was like, ‘enough.’ I hit 30. My face was swollen. I had jaundice. My eyes were yellow. I had to go to a liver specialist. I was holding on to weight that wasn’t normally there. My hair was thin and coming out in clumps,” Hayden told Women’s Health about her time away from Hollywood before deciding to enter rehab 2021 and enrolling in a 12-step program.

2019

Brian was arrested in May 2019 after a domestic violence incident with Hayden, after which she was granted a protective order. Two weeks later, they were spotted holding hands.Though the charges were later dropped, he was arrested on domestic violence charges again in July 2020. This time, he pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a partner during a July 2021 hearing and spent 13 days in jail.

After obtaining a protective order against Brian in July 2020, Hayden said in a statement, “I am coming forward with the truth about what happened to me with the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve.”

“I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again. I’m grateful for my support system, which helped me find the courage to regain my voice and my life” she added.

2023

The Ice Princess star’s brother Jansen Panettiere died suddenly from an enlarged heart coupled with aortic valve complications at the age of 27. Brian accompanied a devastated Hayden to Jansen’s funeral.

“He was my only sibling, and it was my job to protect him,” she told People in September 2024. “I will always be heartbroken about it. I will never be able to get over it. No matter how many years go by, I will never get over his loss.”

2024

After appearing to slur her words in video featured on People‘s Instagram page in September, fans became concerned for the star. In Touch confirmed exclusively in October that Hayden’s family had her forced back into rehab and had boyfriend Brian from her home.