'He’s right here': Hayden Panettiere gets emotional in first interview since brother Jansen's death
ALBANY, NEW YORK: In Hayden Panettiere's first TV appearance since the sudden death of her brother Jansen Panettiere, she paid a heartfelt tribute to her late loved one. Towards the end of her interview on Monday, March 6 on 'Good Morning America', Michael Strahan offered his condolences to the 33-year-old actress who tearfully responded by saying, "He’s right here with me."
Jansen was found dead in New York on February 19 at the age of 28. In a statement released by the artist's family addressing his death, they said, "His charisma, warmth, compassion for others and his creative spirit will live forever in our hearts and in the hearts of all whom he encountered."
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How did Jansen Panettiere die?
Eight days after Jansen's death, his family revealed that the cause of his death was an enlarged heart. According to a police report, when he did not show up to a business meeting, his friends grew concerned about him and one of them rushed to his apartment to check on him. His friend found him in an unresponsive state, sitting upright in a chair. They mentioned performing CPR on him after dialing 911, reported TMZ.
The night before Jansen's death, his father Skip Panettiere talked to him and he sounded 'OK', according to his statement to the police. However, the actor had mental health struggle, according to Entertainment Tonight. "Art was his therapy and escape," a source told the outlet. His final post of him shared on Instagram was a selfie in front of a graffiti wall.
Jansen and Hayden's close relationship
"In the past, Jansen was open to family and friends about his struggles. Hayden was always there for him and constantly tried to help Jansen when she could," said the insider who added that over the death of her only sibling, the 'Scream VI' actress was "absolutely heartbroken."
"She loved her brother unconditionally, and the two shared a special bond," said the source. In January, Jansen took to Instagram to share a picture of Hayden smiling while cutting his hair which showed the siblings' seemingly close relationship.
Jansen Panettiere's movie career
The child actor had several small roles in films such as 'Ice Age: The Meltdown,' 'Blue's Clues,' Hope & Faith,' 'Everybody Hates Chris,' and 'Even Stevens'. For Jansen's work on Nickelodeon's 'The Last Day of Summer,' he was nominated for a Young Artist Award in 2008.
He has also been part of a few other movies collaborating with Hayden including 'Racing Stripes' in 2005 and 'Tiger Cruise' in 2004. Recently, he made an appearance in 'Love and Love Not,' a comedy drama in 2022. According to Jansen's IMDb page, he had been working on four other projects before his unexpected death.