Hayden Panettiere spent the final years of her life carrying grief that never truly went away. She mourned the sudden death of her younger brother, Jansen, wrestled with guilt over whether she could have done more, and fought to rebuild her relationship with her daughter.
Now, following her own sudden death at 36, the deeply personal things she shared about her family are taking on an especially heartbreaking meaning.
Panettiere and her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, grew up together in the spotlight, with both siblings entering the entertainment industry as children. While Hayden became an international star through Heroes, Nashville and the Scream franchise, Jansen forged his own path as an actor and artist.
His final television role came in 2019, when he appeared as Casper, a member of the Hilltop Colony, on The Walking Dead. Away from acting, however, painting became one of the most important forms of expression in his life.
A brother she never stopped mourning
Just weeks before his death, Jansen shared a lighthearted glimpse of the siblings’ relationship. In January 2023, he posted a photograph of Hayden cutting his hair, joking, “Not the first haircut she’s tried to give me.”
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It would become one of the last public glimpses of the siblings together.
Jansen died in February 2023 at just 28 years old. His sudden death devastated his family. In a statement, the Panettiere family remembered him for his warmth, creativity and distinctive personality.
“Jansen’s heart could be seen in his eyes, and his charm in his brilliant, engaging smile; his soul in his masterful and revealing paintings, and the joy of life in his dry wit,” they said.
They added: “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.”
His death was attributed to cardiomegaly, or an enlarged heart, together with aortic valve complications.
For Hayden, however, the loss was something she continued to carry.
Two years later, she marked the anniversary of Jansen’s death with an emotional tribute, writing, “2 years ago today, I lost my little brother. This amazing human being touched the lives of so many. Especially mine.”
She continued:
”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. 💜”
She later described Jansen as “a remarkable human being” who was “wise beyond his years” and operated at “a higher spiritual level than anyone I’ve ever met.”
“I love you to infinity and beyond, J, and we will be together again one day,” she wrote.
The guilt Hayden carried
When Hayden began discussing her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, she admitted that writing about Jansen was among the most difficult parts.
She spoke openly about the guilt she felt as his older sister, saying:
“It’s all the time. It just evolves, especially with a sibling and being the older sibling. You’re just riddled with guilt that you didn’t do your job.”
Hayden revealed that Jansen had struggled with substance abuse and that she had tried to help him, including encouraging treatment and staying in contact with his therapist.
But she eventually came to understand a painful truth.
“I, of all people, should have understood,” she said, before acknowledging: “You can’t help somebody who doesn’t want to help themselves. It’s just a sad fact.”
His artwork became one of the ways she continued to feel connected to him.
