Dakota Kai has joined the wrestling world in reacting to Hayden Panettiere’s death, and she went straight back to one of the actress’ most famous roles. The former WWE star paid tribute with the line Heroes fans will immediately recognize: “Save the cheerleader, save the world.”
Kai took to her Instagram Story after news broke of Panettiere’s death and kept her reaction to just six words.
“save the cheerleader, save the world”
The message is a direct reference to Heroes, where Panettiere played Claire Bennet, a high school cheerleader with regenerative abilities. “Save the cheerleader, save the world” became one of the defining lines of the NBC series and was heavily tied to Panettiere’s character.
Kai’s tribute comes after Jacob Fatu also reacted to the news, although his response went in a considerably different direction. After TMZ reported Panettiere’s death, Fatu shared the story on Twitter with a cryptic all-caps message.
“THE TRUTH WILL COME TO THE LIGHT!!”
TMZ reported that Panettiere was found unresponsive inside a South Carolina home after emergency crews responded to a call involving an “unresponsive female” and a person in cardiac arrest. Authorities were investigating the circumstances surrounding her death.
Panettiere was only 36 years old and had built a career spanning Heroes, Nashville, Scream and Remember the Titans. For Kai, though, the tribute went back to the role that made Panettiere an unforgettable part of 2000s television—and one line that millions of Heroes viewers still associate with her.
What do you make of Dakota Kai’s tribute to Hayden Panettiere? Let us know in the comments below.
