'I lost half of my soul': How Hayden Panettiere carried the grief after brother's death in 2023

Long before news broke of Hayden Panettiere's own death at 36, the actress had already lived through a loss she described as unbearable: the death of her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, in February 2023. He was 28.

Like his sister, Jansen had built a career as a child actor. His death was caused by aortic valve complications tied to an undiagnosed enlarged heart, a sudden loss that Hayden later said reshaped how she moved through the world.

"When something that massive has happened to you, you really learn to pick your fights and just not let the little things upset you," she told People in a 2024 interview, reflecting on the aftermath. "Because once something so horrific, so deep, so catastrophic happens in your life, there's not much that can really rock you."

The grief took a physical toll as well. Hayden revealed she gained 40 pounds in the wake of her brother's death, a change she attributed to the stress of the loss rather than anything she could control through diet. "It didn't matter what I did, what I ate. I know stress and cortisol running through your body can do that," she explained. "Now I think my body was protecting itself, shielding itself from the world."

She went further in describing the depth of that loss: "When I lost him, I felt like I lost half of my soul… I will always be heartbroken about [him], I will never be able to get over it. No matter how many years go by, I will never get over his loss."

Jansen's own résumé included roles in The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry, The Perfect Game, The Martial Arts Kid, and How High 2, along with voice work as Periwinkle in the final season of Blue's Clues, young Stripes in Racing Stripes, young Rodney Copperbottom in Robots, Truman X in Nickelodeon's The X's, and the Shovelmouth Boy in Ice Age: The Meltdown.

Hayden marked his memory publicly more than once. On the two-year anniversary of his death, in February 2025, she wrote on Instagram: "2 years ago today, I lost my little brother. This amazing human being touched the lives of so many. Especially mine. The pain isn't quantifiable. I pray you're in a beautiful place J. That you're at peace and that when all is said and done…I'll see you again. Rest easy brother. You are so missed and beyond loved."

Months later, on what would have been his 31st birthday, she shared a childhood photo of the two of them together, writing: "My little brother Jansen would've turned 31 today. He was a remarkable human being. He was wise beyond his years and operated at a higher spiritual level than anyone I've ever met. He was everything that is good and pure in this world. I miss him every single day but I know his spirit is always near, watching over and protecting me and my family. I love you to infinity and beyond J and we will be together again one day."

Hayden's own death was confirmed by her representative in a statement to ABC News. "It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her -- and to the millions who watched her onscreen," the statement read.

No further details surrounding her death have been made available.