Hayden Panettiere: What happened to her brother who left her ‘heartbroken’ 3 years ago?

Hayden Panettiere, the Heroes and Nashville actress, died on Sunday, August 16, at the age of 36. Her cause of death has not been revealed, while her father, Skip Panettiere, announced the tragic 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,” Skip Panettiere told ABC News.

Before her own death, Panettiere had faced the devastating loss of her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, who died in 2023.


Also a child actor, Jansen was just 28 years old when he died from aortic valve complications and an undiagnosed enlarged heart.

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Aortic valve disease refers to conditions that affect the aortic valve, which controls blood flow from the heart’s left ventricle into the aorta. The two main types are aortic valve stenosis, in which the valve narrows or becomes blocked, restricting blood flow and aortic valve regurgitation, in which the valve does not close properly, allowing blood to flow backward, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

After losing her only sibling, the Heroes actress told People that she gained 40 pounds from the stress.

“It didn’t matter what I did, what I ate. I know stress and cortisol running through your body can do that,” she said at the time. “Now I think my body was protecting itself, shielding itself from the world.”

She added, “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.”

The actress, who also battled opioid addiction, alcohol abuse and postpartum depression, paid tribute to her late brother on the two-year anniversary of his death.

“2 years ago today, I lost my little brother,” she captioned a February 2025 Instagram post. “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. ��”

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A post shared by Hayden Panettiere (@haydenpanettiere)

Later that year, on what would have been Jansen’s 31st birthday, Hayden shared a sweet photo from their childhood.

“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,” she wrote. “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.”

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A post shared by Hayden Panettiere (@haydenpanettiere)