Hayden Panettiere Speaks Out About Her Brother Jansen’s Sudden Death

When Hayden Panettiere’s younger brother died unexpectedly of an undiagnosed heart condition last year, the actor said it was like losing a part of herself.

“He was my only sibling, and it was my job to protect him,” she told People in an article published on Sept. 18. “When I lost him, I felt like I lost half of my soul.”

Panettiere, 35, said that in the days after her brother’s death, her body reacted in a way she had never seen before.

“Within days, I basically just like ballooned — ballooned out,” she said, adding that “stress and cortisol” can make changes to the body.

The changes, plus being followed by the paparazzi, made her not want to leave her house.

“I had to see horrific paparazzi pictures of myself coming out of Jansen’s funeral, which happened in a very private place, and it was shocking,” she said. “My agoraphobia came out, which is something I’ve struggled with in the past.”

It all compounded into diminishing her self-esteem, she said.

“I didn’t feel confident to put on clothes and get out of the house, but I also knew that I needed to get out and keep moving or I’d never stop looking and feeling this way,” she said.

She added: “It became a destructive hamster wheel of, do I feel good enough to go out?”

The “Bring It On: All or Nothing” star eventually decided she wanted to go back to work, and she said everything changed when her publicist introduced her to her personal trainer.

“My body just started reacting, not just from the working out. It allowed me to release the stress, the high expectations I’d always put on myself,” she said.

While she’s eagerly anticipating the release of her next film, “Amber Alert,” she said she will never fully heal from her brother’s death.

“I will always be heartbroken about it. I will never be able to get over it,” she said. “No matter how many years go by, I will never get over his loss.”

What happened to Jansen Panettiere?

Jansen Panettiere died on Feb. 19, 2023, of an enlarged heart, his family said in a statement to TODAY.com.

“It is with great sorrow we share the tremendous, untimely loss of our beautiful Jansen,” the statement said. “Though it offers little solace, the Medical Examiner reported Jansen’s sudden passing was due to cardiomegaly (enlarged heart,) coupled with aortic valve complications.”

Cardiomegaly, or an enlarged heart, is not a disease itself, but is rather a sign of another condition, according to Mayo Clinic. Heart damage and certain types of heart disease can cause an enlarged heart, according to Mayo Clinic.

The Panettiere family did not specify the underlying cause of his condition, but said he suffered from aortic valve complications.

These complications can occur when the aorta, the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body, does not function properly, according to Mayo Clinic.

“Jansen’s heart could be seen in his eyes, and his charm in his brilliant, engaging smile; his soul in his masterful and revealing paintings, and the joy of life in his dry wit,” his family said in the statement. “His charisma, warmth, compassion for others, and his creative spirit will live forever in our hearts and in the hearts of all whom he encountered.”

“We sincerely appreciate the outpouring of love and support towards our family as we navigate this unthinkable loss, and ask that we be gifted our privacy during this time of mourning,” the family added. “We love you so much Jansen and you will be in our hearts forever.”

Jansen Panettiere was reported to be 28 at the time of his death. TODAY.com could not independently confirm his age.

He acted alongside his sister in the movies like “Tiger Cruise” and “Racing Stripes,” and also starred in “Ice Age: The Meltdown” and the AMC series “The Walking Dead.”

About a month before his death, he posted a black-and-white picture of his older sister styling his hair on Instagram.

“Not the first haircut she’s tried to give me,” he captioned the photo.