Last week, the Hollywood community and the public at large received incredibly tragic news. It has been confirmed that Jansen Panettieri, the younger brother of actress Hayden Panettieri, has died at the age of 28. After the death of the former child actor became public, fans took to social media to express their condolences to the family. Jansen’s relatives had no comment when the news broke last Monday. However, Hayden and the others broke the silence and paid tribute to the late star.
Hayden Panettieri and her family paid tribute to Jansen in a statement released this morning. The message obtained by ABC News includes fond memories of the former Disney Channel star. The group also perfectly described what kind of person Jansen was:
In his eyes one could read Jansen’s heart, and in his brilliant charming smile — his charm; his soul in his masterful and frank paintings, and the joy of life in his dry wit. His charisma, warmth, compassion for others and his creative spirit will forever remain in our hearts and in the hearts of everyone he met.
It’s hard to even imagine what the Panettieri family must go through right now. However, at least it has to be somewhat cathartic to be able to perpetuate the memory of your loved one in this way. Later in the statement, they also confirmed that the actor died of an enlarged heart:
Although this is of little comfort, the medical examiner reported that Jansen’s sudden death was caused by cardiomegaly (enlargement of the heart) in combination with complications on the aortic valve.
It is reported that Jansen Panettieri died in New York the weekend before last. Last week it was reported that the authorities received a call on Sunday, February 20, at about 17:30. At the time, news agencies claimed there were no signs of foul play.
During his career, the late actor received a number of significant successes, but he began his career as a Disney child, earning a guest spot in Even Stevens and a few years later, together with his sister, starred in the original Disney Channel movie Tiger Cruise. He also found a place as a voice actor, lending his pipe in shows and films such as “Blue’s Clues”, “X”, “Ice Age: Global Warming” and “Robots”. Among his other live productions are “The Walking Dead”, the sports drama “The Perfect Game”, “The Kid with Martial Arts” and “How High 2”.
The star was also incredibly close with her older sister Hayden and wrote about her on her Instagram a little over a month ago. Hayden, who is scheduled to appear in Scream 6 next month, has been open about her personal life several times. Actress Kirby Reed has been outspoken about being a mother and struggling with addiction. She usually gives her opinion, and when it comes to the statement she and her family shared on Jansen, you can’t help but shed a tear.
We here at CinemaBlend continue to extend our condolences to the entire Panettieri family at this difficult time.
