Jansen Panettiere, brother of actress Hayden, dies unexpectedly at 28
He began his career as a child actor in the early 2000s alongside his sister Hayden Panettiere, who was best known for her roles in “Heroes” and “Nashville”.
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Hayden Panettiere talks about the death of his younger brother Jansen Panettiere.
In an interview with People magazine published Wednesday, the “Nashville” alum spoke about the loss of Jansen, who died last year at the age of 28 from an undiagnosed heart condition.
“He was my only brother and it was my job to protect him,” Panettiere told People. “When I lost him, it felt like I lost half of my soul.”
Her younger brother’s death came at the start of a career comeback for Panettiere. She had ended an on-off relationship with her ex following a high-profile breakup and was sober after a years-long struggle with drug and alcohol addiction, including a stint in an inpatient rehab clinic in early 2020, according to People.
Panettiere also spent her first time in rehab while filming the fourth season of “Nashville” in 2015 and began a 12-step program and trauma therapy in 2021.
Hayden Panettiere and family mourn “brilliant” Jansen Panettiere announces his cause of death
“I had to look at horrific paparazzi photos of myself coming out of Jansen’s funeral, which was in a very private place, and it was shocking,” she told People. “My agoraphobia came to the surface, which I’ve struggled with in the past.” Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder in which one fears and avoids places or situations that might trigger panic and feelings of being trapped, helpless or ashamed, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Panettiere gained weight and “just bloated,” she told People. She said she “didn’t feel comfortable getting dressed and getting out of the house, but I also knew I had to get out and keep moving or I would always look and feel that way.”
She described that time as “a destructive hamster wheel of thinking, ‘Do I feel good enough to go out?'” but the star recovered on long walks with personal trainer Marnie Alton, who was introduced to her by her publicist. She told People that Alton “gave her strength” during “these long, beautiful walks where we could blow off steam and it was like a therapy session.”
Panettiere told People that she has a new outlook on life after the loss of her brother.
“When something this big happens to you, you learn to pick your battles and not let the little things get you down,” she said in an interview with People. “Because once something this terrible, this deep, this catastrophic happens to you, there’s not much that can really shake you.”
She continued, “It will always break my heart. I will never get over it. No matter how many years go by, I will never get over his loss.”
Jansen Panettiere’s death was “sudden,” the family said
At the time of Jansen’s death, Panettiere’s parents, Lesley Vogul and Skip Panettiere, said in a statement that his “sudden death was due to cardiomegaly (enlarged heart) associated with aortic valve complications.”
“It is with great sadness that we share the terrible, untimely loss of our wonderful Jansen,” the family said.
Cardiomegaly has several causes, with high blood pressure being one of the most common, according to the Mayo Clinic. Some people have no signs or symptoms, while others experience shortness of breath, irregular heart rhythm, or swelling of the abdomen or legs.
