Hayden Panettiere is talking for the first time about his brother Jansen‘s death last year, saying he felt it was his job to protect his only brother… and losing him was like losing half his soul.
The actress also said that her body reacted so strongly to Jansen’s death at age 28 from an undiagnosed heart condition that she gained a lot of weight in just a few days… due to the stress and spikes in cortisol circulating through her body.
Hayden said PEOPLE Her changing appearance hit her self-esteem hard, making her feel insecure about leaving home. She felt trapped in a “destructive hamster wheel” of needing to keep moving while fighting these feelings.
She finally regained her confidence with the help of her personal trainer, Marnie Alton …which helped her get rid of stress and insecurities, and now she’s on the right path to feeling like herself again.
TMZ Studios
As for her brother’s death, she is still dealing with the loss and says it is a sadness she will always carry.
No matter how much time passes, she knows she’ll never completely get over it…but she’s keeping busy and focusing on her new thriller, “Amber Alert,” which hits theaters September 27.
