- Hayden Panettiere told People her daughter Kaya "still loves me" though she lives in Europe.
- The actor said Kaya "has a beautiful life" there after moving in 2018 so Panettiere could focus on her health.
- Panettiere's ex Wladimir Klitschko is Ukrainian and "on the ground fighting," she said.
Hayden Panettiere recently told People that her daughter Kaya "still loves me" after the "Nashville" star made the decision to send her to Ukraine to live with her father Wladimir Klitschko in 2018 when Panettiere's dependence on alcohol escalated.
"I would have the shakes when I woke up and could only function with sipping alcohol," she explained.
Panettiere said 7-year-old Kaya, who still lives with Klitschko, "has a beautiful life" in Europe and spends time between Ukraine and Germany.
"She's smart and she's funny and she for whatever reason still loves me," Panettiere said in a video accompanying the cover story.
"It was the hardest thing I could do," she said of her choice to send Kaya to live overseas. "But the best thing for my daughter was to make sure she was okay, take care of myself and make sure I could be a good mom to her. And sometimes that means letting go."
Panettiere's substance abuse began when she was a teenager
Panettiere explained that she began drinking alcohol at 13 years old at parties in Hollywood where she was "offered" drinks she didn't ask for. She said that when members of her team took her to parties she often instinctively knew, "I'm not supposed to be here...this is not a place for me."
She said that a member of her team introduced her to opioids when Panettiere was 15 years old, calling them "happy pills."
Experiences like that are why Panettiere, who was in her first commercial when she was 11 months old, described being a child actor as "horrible."
"I would never wish it on my worst enemy," she said.
The "Remember The Titans" star said she got clean while she was pregnant with Kaya in 2014, but struggled with postpartum depression and alcoholism after giving birth. "I never had the feeling that I wanted to harm my child, but I didn't want to spend any time with her," she told People.
The actor founded a charity to help support Ukraine's 'heartbreaking' war
Panettiere said she travels to Europe whenever she wants to and visits Kaya. Although she shared on social media in February that her daughter was "safe and not in Ukraine" at the time, she told People that Russia's invasion of the country affects Kaya, whose paternal uncle is Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv.
"What she's dealing with and what we're all going through right now in regards to Ukraine is really really hard," said the "Heroes" star. "I had a conversation with her and the only question she had was, 'Why is Putin doing this?' It's so heartbreaking."
In March, Panettiere founded a charity to help Ukraine raise money called Hoplon International. Meanwhile, Klitschko and his brother are "on the ground fighting for their country," according to Panettiere. "Every time I hear his voice or get a text from him, it's such a relief," she added.
Panettiere didn't mention where Kaya was currently living but said "we are fortunate that we can travel a lot."
The proud mom said that her daughter is "a happy kid open to a huge world."
"And she has more love than anybody I've ever met," the "Scream" star added.