HEALTHHayden Panettiere's Near-Death Confession: Actress 'Almost Didn't Make It' After Nightmare Childbirth of Daughter Kaya
Hayden Panettiere recalled the 'really rough' birth of her daughter, Kaya.
May 18 2026, Published 2:23 p.m. ET
Hayden Panettiere opened up about the traumatic childbirth experience that nearly cost her life.
"I had a really rough birth, to the point where I almost didn't make it through," Panettiere, 36, recalled during an interview on CBS Mornings on Monday, May 18.
Hayden Panettiere and Wladimir Klitschko share one daughter.
Hayden Panettiere Details 'Really Rough' Birth Experience
Hayden Panettiere confessed she was 'depressed' after giving birth to her daughter Kaya in 2014.
Though the Nashville star had a "wonderful" pregnancy while dating ex-fiancé and former heavyweight boxer Wladimir Klitschko, she explained that postpartum depression began soon after welcoming her daughter, Kaya, in December 2014.
"There I am with this beautiful, healthy, beautiful baby girl and this very fortunate life ... and I could not for the life of me be happy," she told host Gayle King. "I was so depressed. I just couldn't find my way out."
Hayden Panettiere Was Afraid to Follow in Her Mother's Footsteps
Hayden Panettiere confessed her complicated relationship with her mother effected her when she became a parent.
The Remember the Titans star admitted her complicated relationship with her mother, Lesley Vogel, shaped how she embraced motherhood.
"I had all these ideas in my head of what I wanted to do as a mom," she explained. "I think I was also, at the same time, scared because of what my mom did to me that I might do that to my child."
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Inside Hayden Panettiere's Relationship With Her Daughter
Hayden Panettiere's daughter, Kaya, is being raised overseas in Ukraine.
Panettiere's 11-year-old daughter lives overseas in Ukraine with her ex-fiancé, whom she split from in 2018, as she was struggling with her mental health and alcohol abuse.
"I'm so blessed to have a great relationship with her," she said of Kaya. "I fly over there as much as I can. I'm on FaceTime with her all the time."
Panettiere appeared on the daytime show to promote her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, which is set to hit bookshelves on Tuesday, May 19.
Hayden Panettiere's Mom Clapped Back
Hayden Panettiere's mom, Leslie Vogel, responded to her daughter's claims in a statement last week.
In her memoir, Panettiere opens up about growing up in Hollywood addressing topics including addiction, abuse and therapy. She also makes several claims about her mother, who previously managed her career.
Vogel, 70, clapped back at her "entitled" daughter's claims, calling the drama a way to "sell books."
"There is a personality ‘style’ which manifests as a need for control, entitlement and a lack of empathy. The major fear is that someone will see through the mask they present to the world and discover who they truthfully are," she told Page Six.
She continued, "After 20 years of trauma, I took the advice of professionals and chose the no-contact route. As many parents of entertainment children [know], we are all too familiar with the painful observation of watching the self-destructive paths they sometimes choose. No parent hopes for this scenario; we want our children to be the best of themselves and live a peaceful, joyful life!"
