A close-knit group. Hayden Panettiere’s family might be small, but the squad has always stayed connected.
The actress got her start in Hollywood at a young age, starring on One Life to Live from 1994 to 1997. At the time, Panettiere was only 5 years old. The former child star became an even bigger name once she joined the Disney family as the voice of Dot in 1998’s A Bug’s Life.
She followed up the role by voicing Suri in 2000’s Dinosaur before making a splash as Sheryl Yoast in Disney’s 2000’s Remember the Titans. Two years later, Hayden’s only sibling, Jansen Panettiere, joined the family business.
The brother-sister duo later acted together in 2004’s Tiger Cruise, which was a Disney Channel Original Movie, and 2005’s Racing Stripes.
As Hayden’s career continued to sky-rocket — including leading roles on Heroes and Nashville and in the Scream franchise — her family life also made headlines. In 2008, Hayden’s parents turned heads when news broke that her father, Skip Panettiere, allegedly struck his then-wife, Lesley Vogel.
Skip, who shares both Hayden and Jansen with Vogel, pleaded no contest after being charged with misdemeanor spousal battery. He was given two-years’ probation, had to enroll in a domestic violence treatment program and was ordered to pay $400 to the California’s domestic violence fund.
Four years after the incident, Vogel filed for divorce citing “irreconcilable differences,” according to court records obtained by E! News in January 2012.
Hayden’s own relationship ups and downs also began making headlines around the same time after she and Wladimir Klitschko got engaged in 2013 after dating on and off since 2009. The couple went on to welcome a daughter, Kaya, in 2014 before parting ways four years later.
When the Raising Helen actress started dating Brian Hickerson in 2018 — and later experienced abuse at the hands of her then-boyfriend — Klitschko was worried about her safety as was her family.
“Wlad is very concerned for Hayden,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly in February 2020 after Hayden was involved in multiple domestic violence incidents involving Hickerson. “He still cares for her and truly wishes her the best.” (Hickerson served 33 days in prison for past domestic violence and intimidating a witness in May 2021, but once he was released from jail he and Hayden seemingly got back together in July 2021.)
The Bring It On: All or Nothing star’s family once again was in the news in February 2023 when multiple outlets reported that her younger brother, Jansen, died at age 28. A cause of death was not revealed at the time.
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