Celebrity2 min(s) read
Neutrogena has responded to backlash over the handling of its relationship with the actress Hayden Panettiere following her death last week.
Panettiere was an ambassador for the skincare brand for 10 years, starting when she was just a teenager, and fronted multiple campaigns throughout their decade-long partnership.
However, things hit a snag when the actress appeared on live TV in 2015 and candidly opened up about her experience with postpartum depression following the birth of her daughter.
The actress revealed in her 2026 memoir that following this TV appearance, Neutrogena initially attempted to immediately end its partnership with her due to a morality clause in her contract. Though this was unsuccessful, when Panettiere's contract came up for renewal, she was dropped by the brand.
Releasing a statement on Thursday across its social media, Neutrogena said it was "saddened" by Panettiere's passing and was going to make a "significant" investment in an as-yet-unnamed partner to support women's access to care for diagnoses such as postpartum depression.
"For more than a decade, Hayden was a valued member of our Neutrogena community," the statement went on to say.
"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's statement came after Panettiere's death unearthed the controversy of her being dropped after her struggles with postpartum depression.
Many fans of the actress had suggested a boycott of Neutrogena in solidarity.
Neutrogena did not reveal the partner it is going to invest in to support women's access to healthcare, but said a further statement would be released in due course.
Hayden Panettiere was found unresponsive at an apartment complex in South Carolina and pronounced dead at the scene. She was 36.
An official cause of death for the actress - best known for her starring role in TV hits such as Heroes and Nashville and the Scream franchise - has not yet been revealed by authorities.
One thing authorities have announced is that Panettiere's on-again, off-again partner Brian Hickerson was present at the apartment at the time of her death. He and his brother have been confirmed to have placed a 911 call for assistance.
The couple's relationship was fraught, with Hickerson even being jailed on domestic violence charges against Panettiere in 2021, although they seemed to have rekindled their romance at the time of her death.
