Hayden Panettiere Remembers Late Brother Jansen 1 Year After His Death: ‘We’ll Meet Again’
Hayden Panettiere is honoring her late brother, Jansen Panettiere, on the first anniversary of his death.
The Scream 6 actress, 34, paid tribute to her brother with a touching Instagram message on Monday, February 19.
“Today is the 1 year anniversary of my little brother’s passing,” she wrote alongside a photo of the siblings petting a dog. “Know that I keep him in my heart, keep his things close. His AMAZING paintings are what I see when I wake up and when I go to sleep. Rest in peace my brother. One day we’ll meet again. ??????”
The comments section overflowed with support, with one user writing, “We love you so much hayden ?? he’s so proud of you.”
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“You and your family are in my prayers I know the feeling way too much ????????????????????????????????,” another added.
Hayden responded to her fans’ kind words, replying, “Thank you for all ur love.”
Us Weekly confirmed in February 2023 that Jansen — a graffiti artist who regularly shared his work via Instagram — died at his home in Nyack, New York, at the age of 28.
When Jansen didn’t show up to a business meeting, a friend checked in and found him “sitting upright in a chair unresponsive,” a police report stated. The friend called 911, and Jansen was pronounced dead by first responders after CPR was administered. According to the report, there were “no obvious signs of trauma.”
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Jansen and Hayden’s father, Alan “Skip” Panettiere, arrived on the scene and told police that his son “sounded OK” when they spoke on the phone the night before.
A medical examination later determined that Jansen died of aortic valve complications from an enlarged heart.
Before becoming an artist, Jansen followed in his sister’s footsteps in the entertainment world, getting his start on the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon in the early 2000s. He appeared on one episode of Even Stevens before voicing kitten Periwinkle on Blue’s Clues. Jansen and Hayden later costarred in the Disney Channel Original Movie Tiger Cruise.
Jansen continued to lend his voice to various kids’ shows throughout the years, playing Truman X on the animated series The X’s with Patrick Warburton. In 2006, he voiced a young elephant called Shovelmouth Boy in the hit animated film Ice Age: The Meltdown. Following his starring role in the Nickelodeon original movie Last Day of Summer, Jansen made his final onscreen appearances in 2021’s Bart Bagalzby and the Garbage Genie and 2022’s Love and Love Not.
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Jansen’s art career eventually became his main focus. He frequently shared photos of his colorful and abstract spray paint pieces via Instagram.
One day before his death, Jansen shared two pieces of his work via Instagram, captioning the post, “I like this one. #rane”
Hayden previously broke her silence on her brother’s death on Good Morning America in March 2023, telling the outlet that “he’s right here with me.”
She later penned a heartfelt message to commemorate what would have been his 29th birthday in September 2023, posting a childhood photo of herself and Jansen smiling while posing beneath a Christmas tree. In the caption, she wrote, “Happy Birthday little brother. I miss you everyday. I’ll love you forever ??.”
