'Scream' Star Hayden Panettiere's Younger Brother Jansen Passes At 28

Hayden Panettiere is mourning the death of her younger brother, Jansen.

Although Hayden shot to fame when she appeared in the superhero series, "Heroes," she ensured that she never let her popularity stop her from spending quality time with her beloved brother. In fact, the duo was once seen sitting courtside at a boxing match in New York City, and Jansen uploaded a playful snap of them together last month

Asides from spending time with his big sister, Jansen had followed in her career footsteps, appearing in Hollywood projects such as "Even Stevens," "The X's," "Tiger Cruise," "Love and Love Not," "The Martial Arts Kid," "The Walking Dead," "Perfect Game" and "How High 2." 

Jansen was confirmed dead at 28 by a family member who revealed that the awful incident occurred over the weekend in his upper New York City home. While there is no specific cause of death yet, authorities claimed they received a call to the late actor's home around 5:30 PM on Sunday, February 19. 

Law enforcement sources also affirmed to TMZ that there was no suspicion of foul play in Jansen's death. Even though the 28-year-old was best known for his Hollywood stints, a look at his Instagram account revealed his passion for art.

His posts included several colorful abstract pieces and portraits, with his last upload being a portrait of his girlfriend, Catherine Michie. Mourning her loss, Michie shared a tribute alongside a string of intimate pictures from their time together with a lengthy and emotional caption that began:

"Jansen, I met you only a year ago, but you have been my best friend and biggest fan. I will never forget the first time I saw your face and the first things you said to me."

She added that although words were not enough to express the pain of never hearing him laugh, she was sorry for not being "there when you needed me most." Michie wrote that Jansen made the world a better place before she concluded:

"I know we will paint together again someday. I'll always be your sugarpop. Someone wake me up and tell me this is a dream. Love you, Bubbles."

Fans have also shared their tribute, taking to the comment section of the three-week-old picture that Jansen shared of Hayden attempting to cut his hair. "What a great loss, too young of a star. May your family heal," one fan commented, while another wrote, "Deeply saddened by this news. May he rest in peace. Your family has my deepest sympathies."

A third person recalled watching Jansen and Hayden on the Disney channel, and a fourth claimed, "One of my favorite pictures of you both. My heart hurts for your family, especially Hayden. May you rest in peace."

Jansen is survived by his parents, Skip Panettiere and Lesley Vogel.

The Blast reported in September 2022 that Hayden spoke candidly about losing the custody battle for her daughter, Kaya Evdokia, to her ex-boyfriend Wladimir Klitschko. The actress and the boxing pro had dated on-and-off for a couple of years before getting engaged in 2013, welcoming their baby girl in December 2014.

Unfortunately, that relationship was not meant to last forever as Klitschko and Hayden split again in 2018. Although they have remained cordial, Klitschko was granted full custody of their eight-year-old daughter, no thanks to his ex-girlfriend's battle with alcohol addiction.

Speaking on how the custody outcome affected Kaya, Hayden revealed to Jada Pinkett Smith, Kelly Osbourne, and Adrienne Banfield-Norris on the "Red Table Talk," saying: 

"I remember her dad calling me, and he said, 'Kaya is going around and asking other women if she can call them Mommy,' and my breath hitched, and my heart stopped, and he was laughing." 

While her ex-beau saw the funny side of the encounter, Hayden saw it for what it was — a cry for help. The "Scream" actress immediately asked to speak to her daughter, which resulted in the young girl "just talking gibberish."

The 33-year-old has since undergone treatment for her addiction — once missing "Nashville" shoots after checking into rehab — she still regrets allowing the problem to cost her the close-knit and physical relationship she could have had with her daughter.