Hayden Panettiere reportedly left no will. Her 11-year-old daughter is her sole heir — and filings say a $500K ring went missing

Panettiere’s ex-fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko — a former heavyweight boxing champion who lives in Europe — had assumed full custody of their daughter, Kaya, in 2018 when the couple split. Panettiere had reportedly been struggling with postpartum depression as well as addiction issues.

Since the actress died without a will, by default, that would leave Kaya as the sole beneficiary to her estate. But Kaya, 11, is a minor, which means she can’t legally take control of the estate until she turns 18.

However, since Panettiere’s death, some of her belongings have gone missing, including a $500,000 engagement ring. Klitschko — who has been granted temporary guardianship over the estate, allowing him to act on his daughter’s behalf during the probate process — has reportedly asked a California court to request an official investigation into the missing ring.

This situation demonstrates the challenges that can arise if you don’t have a will or an estate plan. Without one, the courts can decide the fate of your estate — and your loved ones could be left dealing with probate for months or years to come.

How assets are managed after death

While the value of Panettiere’s estate isn’t known at this point, Kaya could inherit a significant number of assets, including real estate and personal belongings (such as the $500K ring, should it be recovered).

But in this case, Kaya also stands to inherit ongoing income in the form of residual payments from her mother’s film and TV work. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists — a union representing roughly 170,000 actors and other media professionals — allows members to designate beneficiaries for residuals.

“A valid beneficiary designation would control those payments and can keep them outside the ordinary probate process,” writes Alexandra Agraz in an article for Law Commentary. However, it’s not clear whether Panettiere had done so.

Panettiere also released a memoir in May. So, with film and TV residuals, along with book royalties, there’s a lot on the line for Kaya.

A valid will and estate plan determines how your assets are to be managed and distributed after your death. But without one, intestate succession laws come into play.

How intestate succession laws work

Each state has its own intestate succession laws that determine how assets will be distributed if the deceased never created a valid will or trust.

Typically, assets are distributed by order of priority, starting with the surviving spouse and biological or adopted children. That’s followed by extended family members, including grandchildren, parents and siblings.

A will overrides default intestate succession laws (aside from the statutory spousal elective share in common-law property states, which allows for a surviving spouse to claim a portion of the deceased’s estate even if they’ve been disinherited).

While Panettiere and Klitschko were once engaged, they never married, which means Klitschko doesn’t have surviving-spouse status. That means Kaya is first in line to inherit the estate. But, of course, Kaya is a minor — and it doesn’t help that she lives in Europe, not in California, where Panettiere’s estate is going through probate.

“If Panettiere created a trust, its terms can identify a trustee to manage assets for Kaya and determine when she gains control of them,” Agraz wrote. “Without a trust, a court can appoint someone to oversee inherited property until she reaches adulthood.”

In this case, the court has appointed Klitschko.

Why you need a will

While it may seem surprising that Panettiere didn’t have a will — particularly since she has so many assets, including residuals — it’s not all that uncommon.

Caring’s 2025 Wills and Estate Planning Survey found that only 24% of Americans have a will, while just 4% have other estate planning documents. And, perhaps surprisingly, those with children under the age of 18 are the largest cohort of Americans without a will or estate planning documents.

It’s not that Americans are necessarily averse to estate planning: 43% of survey respondents without a will said they “just haven’t gotten around to it.”

For those who do have a will, Caring found that nearly one in four have never updated their original will — even if they’ve moved.