Hayden Panettiere Reflects on Bring It On Anniversary, Friendship With Rihanna Amid Family Rift

Hayden Panettiere is reflecting on two major milestones: the 20th anniversary of Bring It On: All or Nothing and her long-running connection with Rihanna.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the 36-year-old actress said she was stunned to realize two decades had passed since the 2006 cheerleading comedy premiered. “I cannot believe I’ve been around — I still don’t feel like a full-grown adult,” Panettiere said.

Panettiere played cheerleader Britney Allen in the third Bring It On film, released six years after the original starring Kirsten Dunst. She said the franchise’s passionate fanbase left a lasting impression, recalling the “physical, visceral reaction” fans had when meeting her.

She also looked back on meeting Rihanna during production. The singer, then 17 and newly known for “Pon de Replay,” appeared in the film as herself. “I run into her all the time,” Panettiere said, adding that Rihanna still asks about her mother whenever they meet.

The interview comes amid renewed attention on Panettiere’s strained relationship with her mother, Lesley Vogel, which the actress detailed in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning. Panettiere wrote that ending their professional relationship while she starred on Heroes marked a painful turning point in their lives.

Vogel later criticized the memoir publicly, prompting Panettiere to respond that she still leaves “the door cracked open” for reconciliation despite feeling rejected by her mother’s comments.