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Hayden Panettiere's ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko has broken his silence on the star's death.

The Heroes actress passed away on Sunday – just one week before her 37th birthday – with an autopsy showing there were 'no signs of trauma' although her official cause of death is yet to be confirmed.

She shared her daughter with Wladimir, 50, and in 2018, when Kaya was just three, she signed full custody to her ex, who moved their daughter to his native Ukraine amid Hayden's battle with postpartum depression and addiction.

Sharing a sweet snap of the family in happier times on Tuesday morning, he wrote a caption reading: 'Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief...

'The announcement of Hayden’s tragic death saddens me deeply. She left this world far too soon. Hayden was, although no longer my partner, an important part of my life and the mother of our daughter, Kaya...

Hayden Panettiere's ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko has broken his silence on the star's death

Sharing a sweet snap of the family in happier times, he added a caption reading: 'Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief'

Hayden and Wladimir met at a book launch in 2009. After they began dating, they split up in 2011, before rekindling their relationship two years later (the couple pictured in 2010)

'She built an incredible career through immense talent, while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry. Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives...

'To our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was...

'I extend my deepest condolences to Hayden’s parents, her friends, and her fans, who are also grieving today. Young and talented people like Hayden should not leave this world so soon...

'I ask everyone to please respect our family’s feelings and privacy during this incredibly difficult time. For now, this is all I wish to say...

'Thank you to everyone who is supporting my family and expressing their sincere condolences...

'Rest easy, Hayden. May you find eternal peace.'

Hayden and Wladimir met at a book launch in 2009. After they began dating, they split up in 2011, before rekindling their relationship two years later.

The Heroes actress passed away on Sunday - just one week before her 37th birthday - with an autopsy showing there were 'no signs of trauma' although her official cause of death is yet to be confirmed

In October 2013, they were engaged, with the actress giving birth to their daughter, Kaya, the following December. However, it was confirmed in 2018 that the couple had split again but remained on amicable terms.

Later that year, Hayden announced she had made the 'difficult decision' to sign full custody of Kaya, who then moved to her father's native Ukraine.

The widely-discussed decision came after Hayden fell into a deep depression – which she said made her 'feel nothing' – and led to her 'turning to wine' and ultimately being sent to rehab for both depression and substance abuse.

In her final interview in May, she spoke to Dear Momé about her choice, saying: 'It wasn't a decision I made lightly, nor was it a decision I even wanted to make. I was going through a really challenging time in my life.'

The widely-discussed decision came after she fell into a deep depression - which she said made her 'feel nothing' - and led to her 'turning to wine' and ultimatedly being sent to rehab for both depression and substance abuse

She told Jay Shetty on his On Purpose podcast in May: 'I have been the one who sought it out, who was saying, ‘I desperately need help. I know this is going to look terrible, but I am. I cannot live like this anymore...

'The idea that anybody would think that I would just give away my child and be OK with it is heartbreaking. 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.'

In her chat with Dear Momé about her daughter, saying: 'I love my daughter, and I'm so proud of the young woman she is becoming. I talk to her all the time, and I feel so connected to her. She's like a mini-me.'

Discussing the prospect of bringing her daughter back, Hayden insisted that she would not want to take her away from her 'incredible' life in Ukraine.

She said: 'By the time I finally got healthy, I felt like it would have been unfair of me to, and selfish of me to try to pull her out of this life that she had been creating.'

The star began acting as a child, appearing in soap operas then gaining wider recognition for her role in the 2000 sports drama Remember The Titans with Denzel Washington, and as the voice of Dot in Pixar's 1998 film A Bug's Life.

Panettiere later found fame playing cheerleader Claire Bennet in the superhero drama Heroes before starring as country singer Juliette Barnes for six seasons on Nashville.

She earned two Golden Globe nominations for best supporting actress on the show, while her singing produced 11 entries on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.

Panettiere's film credits include 2006's Bring It On: All Or Nothing, comedy-drama film Raising Helen, and appearances in Scream 4 and Scream VI as Kirby Reed.