Hayden Panettiere says her body ‘ballooned out’ after brother’s death and caused agoraphobia

‘I think my body was protecting itself, shielding itself from the world,’ Panettiere says about her sudden weight gain

Hayden Panettiere has opened up about the physical changes she experienced after the death of her younger brother Jansen.

The Scream 6 actress lost her brother in February 2023 when he was 28 years old. In a statement at the time their family revealed his cause of death, writing, “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 actress recently spoke to People for their September cover story, explaining that she gained weight while coping with the loss of her brother.

“I just ballooned out,” she told the outlet, noting that she gained 40 pounds in a short period of time. “It didn’t matter what I did, what I ate. I know stress and cortisol running through your body can do that. Now I think my body was protecting itself, shielding itself from the world.”

The Heroes alum added that the weight gain made her feel insecure about leaving the house in case she was photographed.

“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,” the actress said. “I didn’t recognize myself. My agoraphobia came out, which is something I’ve struggled with in the past.”

‘Nashville’ actor explained that she continued to gain weight regardless of changing her diet or exercise following Jansen’s death (Getty Images)

Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder that results in the fear or general avoidance of situations that can make a person feel trapped, helpless, or embarrassed, according to the Mayo Clinic. “For example, you may fear using public transportation, being in open or enclosed spaces, standing in line, or being in a crowd,” the clinic states.

Panettiere explained that her agoraphobia stemmed from being a child actor and constantly being on camera from a young age. “Having grown up in this industry, you’re terrified if you don’t look decent when you walk out the door,” she said.

“That started happening for me when I was 16, where you’re already at an age where you don’t feel great about your changing body – and you certainly don’t need grown men commenting on [our] insecurities.”

She mentioned her depression had gotten worse after returning to film Nashville three months after she gave birth to her daughter Kaya.

“No woman should have to be on camera unless they want to be three months after they give birth,” Panettiere said. “I’d just be stuffing every ounce of flub into Spanx, and it added to my depression and what I thought of myself. They say you should speak to yourself the way you would speak to your friends, but I was very, very guilty of speaking to myself horribly.”

Panettiere has been open in the past about her struggles with substance abuse after childbirth. She told E! News’ The Rundown in March last year: “I wish I knew about postpartum depression. I wish I knew to look out for it. I just thought there was something seriously wrong with me, so I thought, ‘Fireball will fix this – duh!’ and it didn’t. It does for a moment, but then it makes everything worse.”