Actor Jansen Panettiere, younger brother of Hayden Panettiere, dies at 28

The Panettiere family suffered a tragic loss.

Jansen Panettiere, younger brother of Hayden Panettiere, has died at the age of 28, his rep confirmed to Deadline.

According to TMZ, Jansen passed away over the weekend in New York. Citing a law enforcement source, the publication said authorities were called to the house on February 19 around 5:30 pm local time, although investigators are currently unaware of foul play.

The cause of death was not disclosed.

Born five years after Hayden, Jansen, like his older sister, broke into Hollywood at a young age. His earliest performances included appearing in a 2002 episode of the Disney Channel series Even Stevens and voicing on the animated television series Jacob Two Two.

From there, Jansen earned recognition in Hope and Faith, The Third Watch, Cruise with the Tiger, and Everyone Hates Chris. He also continued to work on voice acting, applying his talent to the films Blue’s Clues, Robots, Ice Age: The Meltdown and X.

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During the 2010s, Jansen appeared in films such as The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry, The Perfect Game, 8, The Forger, and Martial Arts Kid, as well as the TV show The Walkers. Dead.”

In addition to acting, Jansen was fond of painting and often shared his work on Instagram. His latest post was a photo of his partner Catherine Michie posing next to a colorful portrait.

After his death, Michi mourned the artist, paying tribute: “Jansen, I only met you a year ago, but you were my best friend and biggest fan.”

“I will never forget the first time I saw your face and the first words you said to me,” she continued in a post dated February 19. “Words cannot express the pain of knowing that I will no longer hear your laughter. I hope you find peace and I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me the most.”

She added: “The world is a better place because you were in it. I know that someday we will paint together again. I will always be your sugar bowl.”

Last month, Jansen shared a photo of his sister getting her hair cut. Along with a black-and-white photo of the Nashville actress gleefully cutting his brown locks, Jansen captioned, “This isn’t the first haircut she’s tried on me.”

E! The news reached out to representatives for Jansen and Hayden for comment, but received no response.

Hayden Panettiere spoke candidly about custody of her seven-year-old daughter Kaia.