'She is inconsolable': Hayden Panettiere's pals fear she'll go 'out of control' with alcohol and drugs after brother Jansen's death
ALBANY, NEW YORK: Jansen Panetteire’s tragic death has reportedly taken a massive toll on his sister Hayden Panettiere as her friends fear that she might relapse on alcohol and drugs to battle her overwhelming grief. The 28-year-old actor was found dead by friends in his Nyack, New York apartment on February 19.
The late 'Ice Age: The Meltdown’ actor was Hayden’s only sibling and they even shared the screen in 2011's ‘The Forger’. Jansen’s cause of death has not yet been released by the medical examiner but the 'Nashville' star and her family claimed that he died from an enlarged heart. “Though it offers little solace, the Medical Examiner reported Jansen's sudden passing was due to cardiomegaly (enlarged heart), coupled with aortic valve complications,” the family said in a statement according to Daily Mail.
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'They had both been burned by Hollywood'
The 'Raising Helen' star has been left devastated following the death of her brother. "Hayden is inconsolable," an insider told Radar Online. "Jansen wasn't just her brother. He was her confidant and best friend. They had both been burned by Hollywood and shared the experiences with each other." The tipster added that Jansen's mysterious death is yet another blow for the petite beauty as it could "undo all the hard work she put into her sobriety."
Hayden had come clean about her secret addiction in 2022 when she shared her struggle to overcome postpartum depression following the 2014 birth of her daughter, Kaya, whom she shares with former boxer Wladimir Klitschko. The actress even gave up Kaya’s custody because of her fatal opioid and alcohol addiction.
Hayden’s opioid and alcohol addiction
Talking about her addiction, Hayden told People, "This hasn't been easy and there were a lot of ups and downs. But I don't regret even the ugliest things that have happened to me. I feel incredibly accomplished. And I feel like I have a second chance." She also revealed that she started taking “Happy Pills” at the age of 15. "They were to make me peppy during interviews," she claimed. "I had no idea that this was not an appropriate thing, or what door that would open for me when it came to my addiction."
Hayden added that her dependence on alcohol and pills swiftly got out of control. "My saving grace is that I couldn't be messy while on set and working," the Heroes alum said. "But things kept getting out of control [off set]. And as I got older, the drugs and alcohol became something I almost couldn't live without." She noted that staying sober is a struggle all by itself. "It's an everyday choice, and I'm checking in with myself all the time,” the actress said.