Hayden Panettiere has shared her feelings about the tragic loss of her brother, Jansen, who passed away at the age of 28 last year. In an interview featured on the cover of People, the actress candidly discussed the emotional turmoil she faced following his unexpected death from an enlarged heart and complications related to his aortic valve.
“He was my only sibling, and I felt it was my duty to protect him,” Panettiere expressed. “When I lost him, it felt like I lost half of my soul.”
In the aftermath of his passing, she found herself reluctant to leave her home, particularly after paparazzi tracked her down and captured moments from his funeral. “I was confronted with horrifying paparazzi photos of myself from Jansen’s funeral, which occurred in a very private setting, and it was shocking,” she recounted, noting that this experience triggered her past struggles with agoraphobia.
Panettiere also revealed that she experienced significant weight gain, which affected her self-image and confidence. “I didn’t feel confident wearing clothes and going out, but I knew I had to change that or I’d never escape these feelings,” she said. “It became a destructive cycle of questioning whether I felt good enough to go out.”
Fortunately, her publicist introduced her to personal trainer Marnie Alton, leading to positive changes in her life. The two developed an immediate rapport, and their training sessions became a mix of workouts and therapeutic conversations.
As a result of her commitment to training, Panettiere began to see physical changes, which helped relieve the stress and pressures she had imposed on herself. Gaining perspective on her brother’s loss has also altered her outlook on life, allowing her to prioritize what truly matters and avoid being upset by trivial issues. “Once something so horrific and catastrophic happens in your life, there’s not much that can truly shake you,” she noted.
Looking ahead, Panettiere stars with Tyler James Williams from Abbott Elementary in the upcoming film Amber Alert. The film tells the story of a rideshare journey that escalates into a dangerous pursuit related to an Amber Alert. While she is excited about the film’s release on demand and in theaters on September 27, she acknowledges that she is still grieving for her brother.
“I will always be heartbroken about it. I will never be able to get over it,” she said. “No matter how many years pass, I will never recover from his loss.”