Hayden Panettiere paid a heartfelt tribute to her late brother, Jansen Panettiere, in her first TV interview since his unexpected death.
“He’s right here with me,” the “Scream VI” actress, 33, tearfully said on “Good Morning America” Monday after Michael Strahan offered his condolences.
Jansen was found dead on Feb. 19 in New York. He was 28.
The artist’s family revealed eight days later that his cause of death was an enlarged heart.
“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 added in a statement.
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 pal rushed to check on the actor and found him unresponsive in his apartment, sitting upright in a chair, according to the outlet. They then called 911 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 had struggled with mental health issues.
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“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.”
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.”
In 2008, he was nominated for a Young Artist Award for his work on “The Last Day of Summer.”
Jansen also collaborated on a few movies with Hayden, including 2004’s “Tiger Cruise” and 2005’s “Racing Stripes.”
Most recently, Jansen 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.
