Hayden Panettiere Pays Tribute to Brother Jansen 2 Years After His Death: ‘Pain Isn’t Quantifiable’

Hayden Panettiere paid tribute to her late brother, Jansen Panettiere, two years after his death.

“Two years ago today, I lost my little brother. This amazing human being touched the lives of so many. Especially mine,” Hayden, 35, wrote via Instagram alongside a black and white selfie of the duo on Wednesday, February 19. “The pain isn’t quantifiable.”

She continued, “I pray you’re in a beautiful place J. That you’re at peace and that when all is said and done … I’ll see you again. Rest easy brother.”

Hayden concluded the post by writing, “You are so missed and beyond loved.”

Shortly after the Ice Princess star shared the post, several of her social media followers took to the comments section to express their condolences. “I’m sorry for your loss Hayden sending you prayers and positive vibes,” one person commented, and another added, “Oh my Love, I’m so sorry for your loss! I hope he‘s doing OK in Heaven. We love you and J so much!!”

Her former Nashville costar Sam Palladio also chimed in. “My heart breaks when I think of this Hayden. I have such special memories of Jansen when I first got to L.A.” he wrote. “We became great friends and had the best times. Sending so much love on this sad anniversary.”

Jansen died at the age of 28 in February 2023 from aortic valve complications from an enlarged heart.

“Jansen’s heart could be seen in his eyes, and his charm in his brilliant, engaging smile; his soul in his masterful and revealing paintings, and the joy of life in his dry wit,” Hayden and her parents said in a statement at the time of his passing. “His charisma, warmth, compassion for others, and his creative spirit will live forever in our hearts and in the hearts of all whom he encountered.”

She continued to reflect on his death while talking to People in September 2024. “He was my only sibling, and it was my job to protect him,” the Amber Alert star said. “When I lost him, I felt like I lost half of my soul.”

Following his death, Hayden admitted she had a hard time leaving her home. “I had to see horrific paparazzi pictures of myself coming out of Jansen’s funeral, which happened in a very private place, and it was shocking,” she recalled. “My agoraphobia came out, which is something I’ve struggled with in the past.”

Hayden also shared that she experienced rapid weight gain, explaining that she “just ballooned out” due to the “stress and cortisol” in her body.

“I didn’t feel confident to put on clothes and get out of the house, but I also knew that I needed to get out and keep moving or I’d never stop looking and feeling this way,” she continued. “It became a destructive hamster wheel of, do I feel good enough to go out?”

Hayden recruited the help of personal trainer Marnie Alton to get back in shape, though she admitted that she was still figuring out how to handle her grief. “When something that massive has happened to you, you really learn to pick your fights and just not let the little things upset you,” she said. “Because once something so horrific, so deep, so catastrophic happens in your life, there’s not much that can really rock you.”

“I will always be heartbroken about it. I will never be able to get over it,” Hayden concluded. “No matter how many years go by, I will never get over his loss.”