Nashville's Hayden Panettiere Engaged To Boxer Wladimir Klitschko

Nashville actress Hayden Panettiere had some big news to declare this morning. The 24-year-old actress is engaged to professional boxer Wladimir Klitschko and she has the big ring to prove it, flashing a large piece of bling for fans who tuned in to Live with Kelly and Michael this morning. The actress was on the set to promote the second season of ABC’s Nashville, but she ended up talking a lot about her relationship, as well.

Panettiere and Klitschko actually dated a couple of times before the tough guy boxer proposed to the star. The two dated for around a year until May of 2011, when Klitschko announced they had split due to distance problems. The split actually seemed pretty amicable, with the 37-year-old boxer noting at the time that they both lived on different continents and that time apart can be a huge difficulty. The actress then dated New York Jets player Scotty McKnight for a while, before that relationship went south last winter. By the springtime, the actress had hooked back up with Klitschko and the rest is history.

Staying friends after a relationship is key to it working out over the long haul. At least that seems to be Panettiere’s philosophy. The actress told Glamour recently that she almost has trouble believing the attention her reunion with Klitschko got, especially since they stayed friendly after the initial breakup.

There was a snake on the set of Live with Kelly and Michael, distracting Ripa, but she did notice the ring enough to remark on it, leaving Panettiere to confirm her engagement. They talked for a bit about it, but it seems like the wedding planning is still in the very early stages. So far, the actress doesn’t even have a date set, due to her hectic acting schedule (and likely Klitschko’s work schedule, as well).

We'll keep you posted as soon as we learn more. In the meantime, congrats to the happy couple and best of luck during the first few months of picking dates and color schemes.