Hayden Panettiere's family breaks silence on her ex's legal move in bid to secure late star's estate for their child

Hayden Panettiere's relatives are supporting her former fiance Wladimir Klitschko in his efforts to secure a legal guardianship for 11-year-old daughter Kaya, who he shared with the late actress.

Insiders close to Panettiere's family told TMZ on Tuesday that they were 'grateful' with Klitschko, 50, amid his legal moves to secure Panettiere's estate for their daughter.

'Wlad is a great father,' the sources close to Panettiere's family told the outlet, adding that they looked at his recent moves in a California court as 'a legal formality.'

The filing came about six weeks after Panettiere passed away at 36 on August 16 at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina, with authorities saying she died of an accidental drug overdose which involved fentanyl.

Klitschko, 50, was granted full legal custody of Kaya in 2018 as the late Heroes star battled postpartum depression, and lives with their daughter in Ukraine.

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Panettiere and Klitschko for further comment on the story.

Klitschko said in a filing with Los Angeles County court reviewed by The Daily Mail that 'although Kaya is not a resident of California, this court has jurisdiction over the guardianship of Kaya's estate because, as such heir, Kaya is entitled to the entirety of the assets subject to Hayden's probate administration in California.'

He told the court he had taken the action in an effort to be the only person permitted to 'receive, manage and hold, on Kaya's behalf, the assets to which Kaya is entitled from Hayden's probate estate.' 

Klitschko told the court that Panettiere had obtained the services of a security company which changed the locks on her home.

Panettiere made the moves 'arising from a documented concern that an individual had gained unauthorized access to Hayden's property,' Klitschko said, not naming the individual.

He added that 'storage units containing designer clothing and accessories worn to public appearances have been relocated as a precaution.'

Klitschko, a one-time Olympic gold medalist boxer, told the court that it had been 'urgent and essential' to grant him the guardianship, which would grant him lone access to the late star's belongings in a bid to secure assets for their daughter.

He noted that some of Panettiere's belongings had been seized by authorities amid a probe into her passing, and no one had been appointed to oversee the process and account for all of the property involved.

Klitschko said it's 'essential that an Administrator of Hayden's Estate be appointed to marshal the missing assets and interface with law enforcement.'

Klitschko added, 'Without an immediate appointment for these purposes, there is a high probability that property belonging to Hayden’s Estate may be lost, damaged or dissipated before a duly appointed personal representative can be in place to protect it.'

The issue is slated to be presented before the court in an October 8 hearing.

Klitschko and Panettiere first crossed paths in 2009, dating for a few years prior to a 2011 breakup. They got back together in 2013 and welcomed Kaya in 2014 prior to splitting again in 2018.

A spokesperson for the Greenville County Coroner's Office told The Daily Mail last week that Panettiere's 'cause of death has been ruled as toxic effects of fentanyl, 4-ANPP, Alprazolam, Methocarbamol and Quetiapine,' adding that 'the manner of death has been ruled an accident.'

Panettiere's on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother Zach Hickerson had been on the premises when she died, with authorities saying in a report that Brian had given authorities a 'bag of medication' Panettiere had.

Hickerson's lawyer Sloan Ellis said in a statement August 20 that 'Hayden's death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed. As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play. Out of respect for Hayden's loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.'