Hayden Panettiere tearfully broke her silence on brother Jansen Panettiere‘s death during an emotional TV tribute.“He’s right here with me,” the 33-year-old actress said on Good Morning America on Monday, March 6, speaking publicly about her loss for the first time.Us Weekly confirmed last month that Jansen died in New York on February 19 at age 28.
A cause of death was not immediately revealed, but the Panettiere family later issued a statement addressing the circumstances of Jansen’s passing.“Though it offers little solace, the Medical Examiner reported Jansen’s sudden passing was due to cardiomegaly (enlarged heart), coupled with aortic valve complications,” read a statement from Hayden, mother Lesley Vogel and father Skip Panettiere on February 27.The family continued: “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.
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.”Jansen appeared in projects such as Even Stevens, Blue’s Clues, Ice Age: The Meltdown and Robots.
He went on to land roles in Everybody Hates Chris, The Babysitters, The Perfect Game and Summer Forever.The New York native’s final onscreen job before his passing was the role of Casper on AMC’s The Walking Dead in 2019.
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