Neutrogena is responding to growing backlash following the death of actress Hayden Panettiere, after comments she made earlier this year about her former relationship with the skincare brand resurfaced online.
Panettiere, known for her roles in “Heroes” and “Nashville,” died Sunday at age 36. Following news of her death, fans revisited comments she made about Neutrogena and its decision to end their long-running partnership.
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Panettiere worked with Neutrogena for about a decade, beginning in 2005. In her 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, and during a May appearance on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast, she said the company ended its relationship with her after she publicly discussed her experience with postpartum depression.
Panettiere said she was surprised and hurt by the decision, believing her comments about her mental health had played a role.
The resurfaced comments sparked criticism of Neutrogena on social media, with some users calling for a boycott of the brand.
The company has now addressed the controversy.
“We are deeply saddened by Hayden Panettiere’s passing,” Neutrogena said in a statement shared Thursday. The company said Panettiere had been a valued member of its community for more than a decade.
“We are proud to have partnered with her and understand that we made her feel unsupported during a very difficult time,” the statement continued. “This is not what Neutrogena stands for or who we want to be.”
Neutrogena also said it plans to make a “significant investment” in a long-standing community health partner focused on women’s health. The company said it would provide more details once those plans are finalized.
The brand said it waited to publicly address the situation out of respect for Panettiere’s family and loved ones.
The backlash had already intensified online before Neutrogena’s response, with users criticizing the company and calling for a boycott.
Panettiere had been open about her experience with postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter, Kaya, in 2014. Her decision to speak publicly about her mental health struggles became a major part of her later reflections on her career and relationship with the brand.