What to Know
Before Hayden Panettiere‘s unexpected death this week, the actress spoke openly about some of the more difficult times in her life when she promoted her memoir last May. At the time, she revealed that skincare brand Neutrogena didn’t renew her contract with them after she spoke publicly about going through postpartum depression, and her comments have now led to the brand getting hit with a lot of backlash. Now, Neutrogena is finally responding, but their apology might be too little, too late.
Hayden struggled with postpartum depression after her daughter Kaya was born.
In 2015, Hayden opened up about struggling with postpartum depression after Kaya’s birth during an appearance on Live With Kelly & Michael that took place less than a year after her daughter was born.
“There’s a lot of misunderstanding,” she said at the time. “There’s a lot of people out there that think that it’s not real, that it’s not true, that it’s something that’s made up in their minds, that ‘Oh, it’s hormones.’ They brush it off. It’s something that’s completely uncontrollable. It’s really painful and it’s really scary and women need a lot of support.”
Fans have been calling Neutrogena out for their treatment of Hayden while she was still alive.
Hayden Panettiere says opening up about postpartum depression cost her a 10-year deal with Neutrogena.
— 𝓢𝓵𝓪𝓶 👁️⃤ (@slamwontmiss) August 17, 2026
“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 constantly followed by paparazzi, who… pic.twitter.com/ebOLsZOdTq
When Hayden was on Jay Shetty’s podcast, On Purpose, in May, she revealed that after working as a brand ambassador for Neutrogena for a decade, they chose not to renew her contract after she spoke up about her postpartum depression.
“So when I got the call that Neutrogena wanted to fire me because of it, my representative at the time said, ‘That’s illegal. They can’t do that.’ Even though she saved the day that year, I knew it was over,” she said. “I knew I wouldn’t be invited back the following year.”
“I had worked with these people for 10 years and I remember not hearing a word from anybody,” Hayden added. “I remember that really breaking my heart.”
Her comments have resurfaced after news of her death broke earlier this week, and people are really angry about the way she was treated. One person on X wrote, “It certainly probably made her feel ashamed, embarrassed, and shunned for having a psychological condition that wasn’t her fault. It clearly broke her heart. I will never buy Neutrogena again.”
Neutrogena has issued an apology.
On Thursday, Neutrogena shared a statement on the brand’s Instagram account, calling Hayden 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,” the brand said. “This is not what Neutrogena stands for or who we want to be.”
The statement went on to promise that the company would make a “significant investment to a long-standing women’s community health partner.”
Neutrogena concluded, “Out of respect for Hayden’s family and loved ones, we did not want to speak out so soon following her passing. Everyone at Neutrogena extends their deepest condolences to Hayden’s family and all who loved her.”
READ NEXT: Hayden Panettiere’s Estranged Mom Faces Backlash From Fans After Actress’ Death
