Hayden Panettiere Speaks Out About the Sudden Death of Her Brother Jansen
Hayden Panettiere is opening up about the sudden loss of her brother, Jansen.
The Scream actress spoke to People about her younger brother’s death due to an undiagnosed heart condition at just 28 years old, which came just three weeks before Scream 6 premiered in February 2023.
“He was my only sibling, and it was my job to protect him,” she said.
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“When I lost him, I felt like I lost half of my soul.”
Hayden said she decided she didn’t want to leave the house, especially after being followed by photographers days after he died.
“I had to see horrific paparazzi pictures of myself coming out of Jansen’s funeral, which happened in a very private place, and it was shocking,” she said.
“My agoraphobia came out, which is something I’ve struggled with in the past.”
She also said it took a toll physically: “I just ballooned out,” she admitted of her weight gain, noting the “stress and cortisol” going through her body resulted in the change.
“I didn’t feel confident to put on clothes and get out of the house, but I also knew that I needed to get out and keep moving or I’d never stop looking and feeling this way,” she added.
Her publicist introduced her to personal trainer Marnie Alton last year, who she says changed things for the better, especially their long walks, during which she would share her stories from the past.
“These long, beautiful walks where we could vent and it would be this therapy session,” she recalled. “Marnie empowered me.”
“My body just started reacting, not just from the working out. It allowed me to release the stress, the high expectations I’d always put on myself…there’s nothing like looking in the mirror and feeling like you look good enough to walk out the door.”
While she’s feeling better, she admitted that things will never be the same after the loss.
“I will always be heartbroken about it. I will never be able to get over it. No matter how many years go by, I will never get over his loss.”
She also just signed on to star in a movie based on a classic Wes Craven film.