Hayden Panettiere’s emotional first interview after brother’s death

“He’s right here with me”: Actress Hayden Panettiere has made an emotional first TV appearance since her brother’s death at 28.

Hayden’s first TV interview after her brother’s death.

Hayden Panettiere paid a heartfelt tribute to her late brother, Jansen Panettiere, in her first TV appearance since his unexpected death.

“He’s right here with me,” the Scream VI actress, 33, said with tears in her eyes on Good Morning America after host Michael Strahan offered his condolences at the end of their interview.

The artist and actor, 28, was found dead on February 19 in New York.

His family later revealed that his cause of death was an enlarged heart, Page Six reports.

“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,” the family said in a statement.

Hayden Panettiere on Good Morning America.

‘He’s right here with me.’

A police report obtained by TMZ stated that friends had grown concerned about Jansen when he did not show up to a business meeting prior to his death.

One went to check on the actor and found him unresponsive in his apartment, sitting upright in a chair, according to the outlet. They then called emergency services and started doing CPR.

Jansen’s dad, Skip Panettiere, reportedly told police that he had talked to his son the night before and he sounded OK.

But a source told Entertainment Tonight that the former child star struggled with mental health issues.

“Art was his therapy and escape,” the insider shared. “In the past, Jansen was open to family and friends about his struggles. Hayden was always there for him and constantly tried to help Jansen when she could.”

Hayden is understood to be ‘heartbroken’ over her younger brother’s death. Picture: Amanda Edwards/Getty

The source added that Hayden, who has publicly battled addiction, was “absolutely heartbroken” over the death of her only sibling.

“She loved her brother unconditionally, and the two shared a special bond,” the insider told ET.

Hayden and Jansen seemed to have a close relationship, as he shared a photo with her on Instagram in January in which she smiled while cutting his hair. His final post on the social media platform was a selfie in front of a graffiti-covered wall.

As a child, Jansen had small roles in Even Stevens, Hope & Faith, Blue’s Clues, Ice Age: The Meltdown and Everybody Hates Chris.

Jansen and Hayden ‘shared a special bond’. Picture: Jason Merritt/Getty

He was nominated for a Young Artist Award for his work on Nickelodeon’s The Last Day Of Summer in 2008.

Jansen also collaborated on a few movies with his sister, including 2004’s Tiger Cruise and 2005’s Racing Stripes.

Most recently, he appeared in the 2022 comedy-drama Love And Love Not. He had been working on four other projects prior to his death, according to his IMDb page.

This story originally appeared on Page Six and is republished here with permission