Hayden Panettiere's Brother Jansen Has Died at 28

By Stephen Andrew

Hayden Panettiere's brother Jansen has reportedly died. He was 28 years old. TMZ reports that sources stated Jansen passed away sometime over the weekend in New York. The outlet reports that law enforcement responded to a call on Sunday night at around 5:30 pm local time. This is when Jansen's body was apparently discovered. No foul play is suspected, but the cause of death is said to be unclear at this time.

At five years younger than his sister, Jansen began his own acting career in the early '00s with roles on shows like Even Stevens, Blue's Clues, and Nickelodeon's The X's. He also did voice acting in films such as Robots and Ice Age: The Meltdown. Jansen had continued to work in Hollywood over the past several years, landing roles on shows such as The Walking Dead and Major Crimes. He also reportedly had a handful of projects in development at the time of his death.

Way back in 2007, the brother and sister pair sat down with TV Fanatic for a joint interview, and their sibling bond was very prevalent. At one point, Hayden asked, "I mean what is it like having your photograph taken with [me] when you are walking down the street with the dogs and when you want to be left alone?" Jansen replied, "She gets me a little more noticed; she gets me in magazines. She gives me a kick-start. With The Last Day of Summer, they will notice me more because she is my sister. It is almost like you are looking in a book, and the bookmark is my sister and she is basically showing me, she is able to push me out there. She helps me tremendously."

In addition to his film and TV career, Jansen was also an accomplished painter and visual artist. He has a number of prints on his website. Jansen Rane Panettiere is a New York based artist who started painting his problems. "Despite having been introduced to paint brushes and a canvas at a young age by his father who was an amateur artist at the time," reads the "About the Artist" section of Jansen's website.

"Jansen grew up in the entertainment industry, alongside his sister, actress Hayden Panettiere, and played roles in The Perfect Game, The Last Day of Summer, The Walking Dead, and more," the bio continues. "After spending time in LA as an adult he was ridden with terrible anxiety and depression; this period in his life eventually produced a spiritual clarity that drove him to start painting his problems, one by one. With more than 50 pieces, Jansen continues to heal himself as well as others with his visceral and emotive work." At this time, the Panettiere family does not appear to have issued a statement on the news of Jansen's death.

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