Actor Jansen Panettiere died from an enlarged heart, his family says

Actor Jansen Panettiere died this month from an enlarged heart, his family said in a statement Monday.

The younger sibling of Hayden Panettiere died Feb. 19 in New York City. He was 28, according to Variety.

“It is with great sorrow we share the tremendous, untimely loss of our beautiful Jansen,” the family said in a statement. “Though it offers little solace, the Medical Examiner reported Jansen’s sudden passing was due to cardiomegaly (enlarged heart), coupled with aortic valve complications.”

The statement, which was signed by father Skip Panettiere, mother Lesley Vogel and sister Hayden, said “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 charisma, warmth, compassion for others, and his creative spirit will live forever in our hearts and in the hearts of all whom he encountered.”

Since the early 2000s, Jansen Panettiere had appeared in multiple television shows and played characters in series including “Even Stevens,” “Third Watch,” “Everybody Hates Chris” and “Major Crimes.”

In Season Nine of “The Walking Dead,” he played Casper in an episode titled “The Calm Before.” 

After his death, producers at Valhalla Entertainment, the production company behind “The Walking Dead,” expressed their condolences on Twitter.

The Panettiere siblings co-starred together in the 2004 Disney Channel movie “Tiger Cruise” about a naval carrier with military families on board.

Jansen Panettiere branched into voice acting and brought characters in “Blue’s Clues,” “Robots” and “Ice Age: The Meltdown” to life. 

His most recent role was a part in a romantic comedy called “Love and Love Not” that was released last year.

Diana Dasrath

Diana Dasrath is entertainment producer and senior reporter for NBC News covering all platforms.

Antonio Planas

Antonio Planas is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.