Neutrogena Responds to Backlash Following Hayden Panettiere's Death
Hayden Panettiere, a former ambassador for Neutrogena, passed away on August 16. The actress had claimed her decade-long contract with Neutrogena was cancelled after she discussed her postpartum depression publicly.
In the months before her death, Panettiere appeared on Jay Shetty's On Purpose podcast, discussing her struggles with mental health following the birth of her daughter in 2014. Clips of the podcast appearance and a 2015 TV interview where she talked about her postpartum depression started recirculating online following her death, prompting a backlash on social media against the Kenvue-owned brand.
Neutrogena has now issued a statement on its official Instagram and TikTok pages, saying it was deeply saddened by Panettiere's passing. The company stated that Panettiere was a valued member of its community and that it was proud to have partnered with her.
However, Neutrogena also acknowledged that it made Panettiere feel unsupported during a difficult time. The company said it was making a significant investment to a long-standing community health partner to help give more women access to the support they need, including care for postpartum depression.
Panettiere became a Neutrogena Brand Ambassador in 2005 and went on to front global campaigns for the skin care brand. She had claimed that Neutrogena was a huge part of her life, but that she was fired over her discussion of postpartum depression.
The backlash against Neutrogena has been ongoing since Panettiere's death, with many taking to social media to express their disappointment with the brand's handling of the situation.
Neutrogena's Response
Neutrogena's statement on its official social media channels reads:
“For more than a decade, Hayden was a valued member of our Neutrogena community. We are proud to have partnered with her and understand that we made her feel unsupported during a very difficult time. This is not what Neutrogena stands for or who we want to be.”
The company also stated that it was making a significant investment to a long-standing community health partner to help give more women access to the support they need, including care for postpartum depression.
Hayden Panettiere's Claims
In her On Purpose appearance, Panettiere said that Neutrogena had a morals clause in her contract, which they used to try to fire her over her discussion of postpartum depression. She claimed that she had no intention of talking about the issue on stage, but that it came up and she was being honest.
Panettiere also stated that her representative at the time said that Neutrogena's actions were illegal, and that she knew she would not be invited back to work with the brand again.
