Hayden Panettiere In an emotional interview, she spoke openly about the sudden death of her younger brother Jansen, more than a year after he died at the age of 28.
“He was my only brother and it was my job to protect him,” said the Amber Alert Star, 35, said People in an interview published on Wednesday, September 18. “When I lost him, it felt like I had lost half of my soul.”
Jansen died unexpectedly from an undiagnosed heart condition in February 2023. Hayden said that after his death, she struggled with not wanting to leave the house at all.
“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 explained. “My agoraphobia came to the fore, which I’ve struggled with in the past.”
The Scream The actress also gained weight quickly, telling the outlet that she was “just bloated” due to the “stress and cortisol” in her body.
“I didn’t dare put anything on and leave the house, but I also knew I had to get out and keep moving or I would never stop looking and feeling that way,” Hayden continued. “It became a destructive hamster wheel of: Do I feel good enough to go out?”
Hayden started working with a personal trainer Marnie Alton and they took “long walks” together, which helped her “de-stress” and feel better. However, she is still learning to live with Jansen’s death and is gaining a new perspective in the process.
“When something this big happens to you, you learn to pick your battles and not let the little things get you down,” the “I’m a Girl” singer continued. “Because once something this terrible, this deep, this catastrophic happens to you, there’s not much that can really shake you.”
Hayden concluded, “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.”
Hayden’s brother was found dead in his New York home by a friend on February 19, 2023, after the actor failed to show up for a scheduled meeting. The friend called 911 and attempted to resuscitate Jansen, but he was later pronounced dead by paramedics.
A week later, the Panettiere family announced that Jansen had died of an enlarged heart.
“Although it is of little consolation, the medical examiner reported that Jansen’s sudden death was due to cardiomegaly associated with aortic valve complications,” said a statement from Hayden, the mother Lesley Vogel and dad Alan Lee “Skip” Panettiere read.
“Jansen’s heart was seen in his eyes, and his charm in his radiant, engaging smile; his soul in his masterful and insightful paintings, and the joy of life in his dry wit,” the statement continued on February 27, 2023. “His charisma, warmth, compassion for others and creative spirit will live forever in our hearts and in the hearts of everyone he met.”
Jansen’s family concluded, “We are sincerely grateful for the love and support shown to our family as we process this unfathomable loss and ask that we be granted our privacy during this time of grief. We love you so much, Jansen, and you will be in our hearts forever.”
In her first interview since Jansen’s death on March 5, 2023, Hayden made a brief comment about her brother while promoting her film Scream VI.
“He is here with me,” she said with tears in her eyes. Good morning America.
