CNN
—
Hayden Panettiere and her family on Monday spoke for the first time about the death of Jansen Panettiere, an established voice-over actor and Hayden Panettiere’s brother, who died earlier this month. He was 28.
In a statement shared with CNN from a representative for Hayden Panettiere, the actress and her parents, Skip Panettiere and Lesley Vogel, said, “Jansen’s heart could be seen in his eyes, and his charm in his brilliant, engaging smile,” and expressed gratitude for “the outpouring of love and support towards our family as we navigate this unthinkable loss.”
The family statement also shed light on Jansen Panettiere’s cause of death. Citing an unnamed medical examiner, the family confirmed that the aspiring artist died of “cardiomegaly (enlarged heart,) coupled with aortic valve complications.”
The Mayo Clinic confirms that the term cardiomegaly “refers to an enlarged heart.”
Jansen Panettiere got his start as a child actor in the early 2000s alongside his sister, best known for her roles on NBC’s “Heroes” and ABC’s “Nashville.” Some of his earliest credits included an episode of “Even Stevens” and another small role on the sitcom “Hope & Faith.”
He went on to have a career as a voice-over actor, landing roles in various television shows and films and was most well known for his role as Shovelmouth in the 2006 film “Ice Age: The Meltdown.”
According to a biography on his website, he was also an aspiring artist and wrote about how painting gave him a “sense of ultimate purpose” on Medium in 2019.
“We love you so much Jansen,” the family said in the statement. “You will be in our hearts forever.”
