Hayden Panettiere Holds Back Tears Over Brother Jansen In First Interview After His Tragic Death

Hayden Panettiere's younger brother Jansen Panettiere died in February, according to TMZ. Jansen was found dead in his apartment in New York City after his friends became worried for him when he missed a meeting. The Panettiere family released a statement to ABC News shortly after the news was reported. "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," the statement read.

In their statement, Jansen's family also revealed that he died from cardiomegaly coupled with aortic valve complications. Jansen and Hayden were extremely close and spent a great deal of time together over the years, whether hanging out at home or traveling the world. Their most recent Instagram photo together was uploaded in January, on Jansen's Instagram account. "Not the first haircut she's tried to give me," Jansen captioned the post. On March 6, Hayden made her first public appearance since her brother's death and she got emotional while talking about him. 

Hayden Panettiere returned to work on March 6, sitting down with Michael Strahan on "Good Morning America" to talk about her role in the new "Scream" film. Strahan began the interview by asking Hayden why she decided to take part in the "Scream" franchise after taking several years off; she last appeared on "Nashville" in 2018. "I did have to take those four years off, and thank god I did. I had to work on myself — my mental health, my physical health, my spiritual health," she explained. Strahan wrapped things up by offering his condolences to Hayden, whose eyes immediately teared up at the mention. "Thank you," she responded, adding, "he's right here with me." 

Hayden isn't very active on social media and hasn't uploaded anything to her Instagram account since February 14. Fans have taken to the comments section of her last post to share their support and offer their good wishes to her as she navigates life without her brother by her side. Jansen was just 28 years old.