Hayden Panettiere’s Younger Brother Jansen Dead at 28
Sad news to report: daytime alum Hayden Panettiere’s younger brother, Jansen Panettiere has died at the age of 28. The young performer was found in a New York City residence by law enforcement on the evening of February 19, although TMZ is reporting that sources say there is no foul play suspected.
Hayden got her start playing Sarah Roberts on ONE LIFE TO LIVE then went on to play Lizzie Spaulding on GUIDING LIGHT before finding success in primetime and film. And like his big sister, Jansen also went into show business, racking up numerous credits to add to his resume.
The younger Panettiere sibling began appearing in shows like EVEN STEVENS, HOPE & FAITH, and BLUES CLUES. He voiced characters in cartoons like Ice Age: The Meltdown and THE X’S. The actor also starred in films like The Last Day of Summer, The Perfect Game, and The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry. His most recent work was playing Casper in an episode of THE WALKING DEAD and Hayes in the TV movie How High 2. The brother and sister appeared together in two projects — the 2004 Disney Channel movie Tiger Cruise and the 2011 feature film The Forger.
In addition to his acting, Jansen was also an artist, sharing many of his paintings on his Instagram page. Among all of his artwork, he also shared a snap from January where his big sister was trying to tame his wild locks. “Not the first haircut she’s tried to give me,” he captioned it.
Our thoughts are with all of Jansens family and friends during this difficult time.
