Family Announces 28-Year-Old Disney Actor Died from an Enlarged Heart
The family of actor and artist Jansen Panettiere has announced that his death was the result of a heart condition.
Jansen Panettiere, the brother of actress Hayden Panettiere, was found dead in his New York apartment on Feb. 19.
“Though it offers little solace, the Medical Examiner reported Jansen’s sudden passing was due to cardiomegaly (enlarged heart), coupled with aortic valve complications,” Panettiere’s family announced in a statement to ABC News, the outlet reported Monday.
Jansen Panettiere’s family, including his sister Hayden, is remembering the late actor a week after he died suddenly at just 28 years old. https://t.co/psAn5J9rCN
— ABC News (@ABC) February 27, 2023
“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,” his family said, adding, “We love you so much Jansen and you will be in our hearts forever.”
“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, according to ABC News.
“We sincerely appreciate the outpouring of love and support towards our family as we navigate this unthinkable loss.”
Panettiere, who was five years younger than his sister, begin his acting career in 2002 with a voice role in the animated series “Midori’s Nintendoland Bakery,” according to USA Today.
He worked on projects that included Disney Channel’s “Even Stevens,” “Blue’s Clues,” “Robots,” “Ice Age: The Meltdown” and “The X’s,” according to TMZ.
His final acting credits were appearances in the stoner comedy “How High 2” and season nine of “The Walking Dead,” according to EW.
Panettiere was found dead by a friend he was supposed to meet up with that day.
He was described as unresponsive and sitting upright in a chair when found, according to a police report obtained by Fox News.
Officers with the Orangetown Police Department arrived at Panettiere’s apartment around 5 p.m.
When they arrived, Panettiere’s friend, Benjamin Brown, was performing CPR on him in the living room.
Jansen Panettiere, Actor in ‘The Walking Dead,’ ‘Ice Age: The Meltdown,’ Dies at 28 https://t.co/IIpOWiOeJm
— Variety (@Variety) February 21, 2023
An EMT declared Panettiere dead at 5:11 p.m., Fox News reported.
Panettiere’s father, Alan, told police that he had spoken to his son on the phone the night before and said he “sounded OK,” according to the report.
Panettiere wrote about his struggles with depression and anxiety in a 2019 post on Medium.
“I’m a painter now. I’ve painted for most of my life but only as of recent have I self-identified with the practice. It’s my therapy,” he wrote.
“In a world hypnotized by vanity fueled with comparison, art is my escape, Panettiere said. “The inner demons call to the angels of our being. Finally all these toxic thoughts and feelings have a stage to play and become something much more than just that weight on my chest, the clenching of my fists, the tightness in my jaw.
“In the words of Meryl Streep ‘take your broken heart and make art.'”
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