"Hayden Panettiere Opens Up About Her Brother's Death: 'I Lost Half My Soul'"

Hayden Panettiere is opening up about younger brother Jansen Panettiere's death.

In a People magazine interview published Wednesday, the "Nashville" alum opened up about losing Jansen, who died of an undiagnosed heart condition last year at 28.

"He was my only sibling, and it was my job to protect him," Panettiere told People. "When I lost him, I felt like I lost half of my soul."

Her younger brother's death came during the start of a career comeback for Panettiere. She was out of an on-again, off-again relationship with her ex after a highly publicized breakup, and sober after a yearslong struggle with drugs and alcohol addiction, including time spent time at an in-patient rehab facility in early 2020, according to People.

Panettiere also spent time during her first time in rehab while filming the fourth season of "Nashville" in 2015, and in 2021, she entered a 12-step program and began trauma therapy.

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Hayden Panettiere and family mourn'brilliant' Jansen Panettiere, reveal his cause of death

"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 told People. "My agoraphobia came out, which is something I've struggled with in the past." Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder that involves fearing and avoiding places or situations that might cause panic and feelings of being trapped, helpless or embarrassed, according to Mayo Clinic.