Hayden Panettiere Speaks on Brother’s Death: ‘Half My Soul Is Gone’

Hayden Panettiere is speaking about her younger brother Jansen’s death.

Hayden Panettiere Biography

In an interview with People magazine, she shared her feelings about losing Jansen, who passed away last year at 28 from an undiagnosed heart condition.

“He was my only brother, and I felt it was my job to protect him,” Hayden said. “When he died, it felt like I lost a huge part of me.”

Hayden Panettiere was starting a career comeback when her younger brother passed away. She had just ended an on-and-off relationship with her ex after a very public breakup. After years of struggling with drugs and alcohol, she was finally sober. In 2020, she spent time in a rehab facility.

Panettiere had also gone to rehab while filming season four of “Nashville” in 2015. In 2021, she started a 12-step program and began therapy to deal with past trauma.

Hayden Panettiere and her family are grieving the loss of her brother, Jansen, who they called “brilliant.” They recently shared his cause of death.

Hayden talked about the painful experience of seeing paparazzi photos of herself leaving Jansen’s funeral, which was meant to be private. She found it very upsetting.

She also shared that it triggered her agoraphobia, a condition she has struggled with before. Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder where people fear and avoid places or situations that might cause panic or make them feel trapped or embarrassed.

Panettiere said she gained weight and felt like she “ballooned.” She didn’t feel confident enough to wear clothes or leave the house but knew she had to keep moving or she’d stay stuck.

Panettiere described it as a “destructive cycle” of wondering if she felt good enough to go out. She eventually started taking long walks with personal trainer Marnie Alton, who was introduced to her by her publicist. Panettiere said these walks felt like therapy and Alton “empowered” her to recover.

Panettiere shared with People that losing her brother changed how she sees life.

“When something huge like that happens, you learn what really matters,” she said. “Small things don’t bother you as much anymore. After going through something so painful, nothing else feels as overwhelming.”

Family Calls Jansen Panettiere’s Death ‘Sudden’

When Jansen passed away, his parents, Lesley and Skip Panettiere, shared that he died suddenly because of an enlarged heart and issues with his aortic valve.

The family said, “We’re heartbroken to share that we lost our amazing Jansen too soon.”

Cardiomegaly, an enlarged heart, can happen for various reasons, with high blood pressure being a common cause. Some people don’t have any symptoms, while others might feel short of breath, have an irregular heartbeat, or see swelling in their belly or legs.

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