She also acknowledged how dramatically addiction had affected a life that, from the outside, appeared enormously successful.
“I was on top of the world, and I ruined it. I’d think I hit rock bottom, but then there’s that trap door that opens.”
Rather than hiding the most difficult parts of her life, Panettiere eventually began discussing them with remarkable openness.
“I put a lot of work into myself, and I had to be willing to be incredibly honest. There were a lot of ups and downs, but I don’t regret even the ugliest things that have happened to me.”
Motherhood became another defining chapter of her life. Panettiere and former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko welcomed their daughter, Kaya, in December 2014.
During an especially difficult period several years later, Kaya went to live primarily with her father in Europe. Panettiere subsequently pushed back against suggestions that she had simply abandoned her daughter, explaining that the arrangement happened while she was struggling and receiving treatment. Despite living apart, she remained connected with Kaya.
