The demands for skincare brand Neutrogena to address an accusation brought up by Hayden Panettiere in May have been escalating over the past few months.
These calls intensified following the tragic passing of the actress on Sunday.
Neutrogena has now broken its silence through a post on Instagram.
In the Instagram post, which does not allow comments, Neutrogena acknowledged the end of its long-standing partnership with Panettiere without delving into specifics or directly responding to the claim that the termination was related to her discussion on postpartum depression.
The brand stated, “We take pride in our collaboration with her and recognize that we failed to provide the necessary support during a challenging period. This does not align with Neutrogena’s values or identity.”
The Allegation
During her tenure as a global brand ambassador for Neutrogena from 2005 to 2015, Panettiere, known for her roles in Heroes, Bring it On: All or Nothing, and Nashville, welcomed a baby girl in late 2014. In 2015, she appeared on Live with Kelly and Michael, openly discussing her battle with postpartum depression.
Following that public disclosure, her partnership with Neutrogena came to an end.
On Jay Shetty’s podcast On Purpose this past May, Panettiere alleged that Neutrogena attempted to terminate her contract based on a morality clause due to her 2015 remarks about postpartum depression.
She shared, “My representative at the time intervened, stating, ‘That’s unlawful, you cannot do that,’ and despite her efforts that year, I knew that my tenure with Neutrogena would not extend to the following year.”
Fans and co-stars mourned the death of 36-year-old actor Hayden Panettiere, best known for roles in Heroes and Nashville. Police are investigating the cause of her death, but said there are no signs of foul play.
Panettiere mentioned that she never received any communication from the company following the 2015 incident.
Reflecting on the experience, she expressed to Shetty, “It made me realize and understand exactly what people thought of women who experience postpartum depression and how misunderstood it is, how much stigma there is around it.”
The Backlash
Fans initiated a boycott against Neutrogena after the podcast episode was released. A beauty influencer even utilized excerpts from the podcast in a video labeled “Neutrogena hates women!”
Since Panettiere’s passing on Sunday, supporters have been actively urging Neutrogena through their comments on the brand’s Instagram</a