Neutrogena is facing renewed backlash online after an old allegation by Hayden Panettiere about the skincare brand’s decision to end their long-standing professional relationship resurfaced following the actress’ death at 36.
Panettiere, known for Heroes and Nashville, had spoken publicly about her experience with postpartum depression and later alleged that discussing it publicly had an impact on her endorsement deal with Neutrogena. Her comments from a podcast interview in May are now being widely discussed again with some social media users calling for a boycott of the brand.
Why Is Neutrogena Facing Backlash Over Hayden Panettiere?
The controversy goes back to 2015 when Panettiere spoke about her experience with postpartum depression during an appearance on Live! With Kelly and Michael. She had given birth to her daughter the previous year and described postpartum depression as “completely uncontrollable and really painful.”
She also said at the time, “It’s really scary, and women need a lot of support.”
Years later, Panettiere alleged that Neutrogena decided to end its association with her because she had spoken about the subject publicly. The claim resurfaced in May when she discussed the matter with Jay Shetty on his podcast.
What Did Hayden Panettiere Say About Neutrogena?
Panettiere said her relationship with Neutrogena had lasted around 10 years and that her contract contained morality clauses that could affect the brand’s association with her.
Talking about the experience, she said, “Neutrogena and I were together for 10 years. They had morality clauses that had a huge impact on my life, because I was a teenager and I had all the paparazzi around me capturing these gory moments. Every moment – every cigarette I smoked, every bad outfit, or [comments like], ‘She’s looking chunky in a bathing suit’, or, ‘She has a fat vagina’.”
She further said, “They caught absolutely everything and out of all the things they would fire me over, this is the last thing I thought they would ever fire me over.”
According to Panettiere, she had not planned to discuss postpartum depression during the 2015 television appearance. She said the subject simply came up during the conversation.
“When I went on Live with Kelly and Michael, I had no intention or plan to talk about postpartum depression. It just came up and I was just being honest,” she said. “Never for a second did I think that anyone would have a bad reaction to it – it was my truth.”
Did Neutrogena Really Fire Hayden Panettiere Over Postpartum Depression?
Panettiere’s account was that Neutrogena wanted to end the relationship because of a morality clause in her endorsement contract. She said her representative challenged the decision at the time but she believed the professional relationship would eventually come to an end.
“So when I got that call that Neutrogena wanted to fire me over that, my representative at the time said, ‘That’s illegal, you can’t do that.’ And even though she saved the day that year, I knew that that was going to be it,” Panettiere said.
She later added, “I knew that I was not going to be invited back the next year,” saying that it “really broke her heart” that she did not hear from people she had worked with for years after the relationship ended.
She also included it in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, where she wrote that “Neutrogena canceled my long-standing contract, and it was yet another blow in a year that had given almost nothing else.”
Why Are People Calling For A Neutrogena Boycott?
The resurfaced comments have prompted criticism across Neutrogena’s social media pages. Some users are accusing the brand of abandoning Panettiere after she spoke openly about postpartum depression and are calling for a boycott.
One comment read, “What a terrible brand. you dropped hayden because she had postpartum depression??!? never buying from here again,”
Another user wrote, “Women naturally suffered from postpartum depression. For a brand representing women, it seems like you actually hate women?”
What Happened To Hayden Panettiere And What Was She Known For?
Panettiere died on Sunday, August 16, at the age of 36 after being found unresponsive at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina. The Greenville County Coroner’s Office said she was found in cardiac arrest and that emergency responders attempted advanced life support measures before she was pronounced dead at 2:32 PM, ABC News reported.
An autopsy was completed on Monday but authorities said no signs of trauma were found that would have contributed to her death. Her official cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and additional studies.
Panettiere began working as a child actor and went on to become widely known for playing Claire Bennet in Heroes and Juliette Barnes in Nashville. She also appeared in films including Remember the Titans and the Scream franchise.
