Why Black Millennials and Gen Z felt Hayden Panettiere’s death so deeply
TheGrio...
From her crumping scene in “Bring It On” to her candid advocacy and personal struggles, Hayden Panettiere earned a rare place in the Black cultural group chat.
There are a few celebrity deaths that send shock waves through Black communities, and this weekend, Hayden Panettiere did exactly that for Millennials and Gen Z. Like many, I stopped in my tracks when the notification came through my phone over the weekend. And between the frantic texts in group chats and Google searches to confirm the information, a ’90s sitcom-style montage of Panettiere’s movies began playing through my mind. From “Remember the Titans” to “Ice Princess” to “Bring it On: All or Nothing,” the actress felt like a constant presence in the lives of many kids growing up in the 90s and early 2000s. So, the news of her passing hit a soft spot for many while simultaneously unlocking waves of nostalgia.
“Black people have a very short list of white people we ride for and Hayden Panettiere is absolutely one of them,” one user wrote on threads. “I kinda need an invite to the memorial service, not gone hold you.”
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As social media users remember her iconic crumping scene in “Bring It On:All or Nothing,” her co-stars Solange Knowles and Giovonnie Samuels took to social media to pay tribute to the late actress.
“We had so many parallels in our lives, and the world watched u so courageously live in your radical truth, telling your story: we watched your endless quest for vulnerability and healing. I salute your journey, and I honor the work we created together that became something that really means something to people,” Knowles wrote on her Instagram Story. “Reaching people we couldn’t have ever imagined at the time, as two young girls, trying to keep looking to the light. The light surrounds you now, rest easy, Hayden.”
“What an amazing talent you were….so gifted. Julius and I loved working with you….an old, wise soul with such a deep heart. I wish the world had more time with you because I had a burning curiosity about who you were becoming. I saw this beautiful Phoenix rising from the ashes. Your tests became your testimony, and your testimony became your legacy. You will be remembered. Rest well, Hayden. Sending healing prayers to your family, your daughter, and all who loved you. May they always speak your name,” Viola Davis, who worked with Panetierre in the film “Custody,” wrote on Instagram.
Beyond her notable roles in films like “I Love You Beth Cooper” and “Nashville,” it was her work off-camera that drew many fans to the actress. Having landed her first role at 8 months old, viewers literally watched Panettiere grow up before their eyes. And as she reached adulthood, the actress was very honest about the struggles of growing up in the spotlight, her experience with postpartum depression, and sobriety.
“The problem wasn’t about what is or isn’t wrong with my life,” she wrote in an excerpt of her memoir, per The Cut. “The issue was that I had everything I’ve ever wanted — a great job, a baby, friends, a fiancé — and yet I was still unhappy. I had postpartum depression, and it sucked. I wanted more than anything to get back to that place of happiness, but I didn’t even know where that place was anymore.”
In addition to her candor, Panettiere is also being remembered for her activism. From environmental causes to Black Lives Matter, the actress’s advocacy extended beyond national causes. In 2008, the “Heroes” star joined the fight for Washington D.C. statehood, and three years later, the then-Mayor Vincent Gray proclaimed Sept. 16 Hayden Panettiere Day in the nation’s capital.
To understand the unspoken bond between Black viewers and Panettiere is to understand that Black communities are not monolithic. And the truth is, Black audiences can be generous with their attention but stingy with their loyalty; the people who earn permanent places in the cultural group chat rarely do so by accident.
While many of us embody Issa Rae’s rooting for everybody Black mantra, the reality is that for many Gen Z and Millennials, watching TV was synonymous with seeing Panettiere’s face in the early 2000s. Whether you met her as Dot, Claire Bennet, Brittany, or Gen, she was one of those familiar presences in films targeting teens and pre-teens carrying a “that’s my girl” energy that felt familiar and comforting. That’s why the grief lands the way it does: with the comedy, the reverence, and the love reserved for any icon we claim as our own.
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