Why Fans Are Boycotting Neutrogena After Hayden Panettiere's Death
Fans of Hayden Panettiere are calling for a boycott of Neutrogena following her death, resurfacing claims from the actress's memoir that the skincare brand ended her decade-long endorsement deal after she spoke publicly about her struggles with postpartum depression.
Panettiere served as the face of Neutrogena from 2005 to 2015. In her memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," released in May, she wrote that the company "canceled my long-standing contract," calling it "yet another blow in a year that had given almost nothing else." The claim dates back to 2015, when Panettiere appeared on "Live! with Kelly and Michael" and spoke candidly about the postpartum depression she experienced after the birth of her daughter, Kaya, in December 2014.
What Panettiere Said About Losing the Deal
Panettiere later discussed the experience further during an appearance on Jay Shetty's "On Purpose" podcast, saying she had been with Neutrogena for a decade and that her contract included strict morality clauses. She said losing the partnership was one of the last things she expected to be let go over, and described the silence that followed as particularly painful, saying she remembered not hearing from anyone at the company and that the experience broke her heart.
The claim first drew backlash when Panettiere's memoir was released in May, though Neutrogena did not publicly address the criticism at the time.
Renewed Backlash Following Her Death
Since Panettiere's death on Aug. 16 at age 36, fans have revived the boycott calls across Reddit, TikTok and other platforms.
One Reddit user wrote, "I will not buy from them ever again!" adding that Neutrogena "should have been supporting her and other women, not taking away help." Another commenter wrote, "Hayden deserved better. Women deserve better. I'm done supporting Neutrogena."
Neutrogena's Threads account has also faced renewed criticism, with users responding to older posts from the brand. One user replied to a 2023 post that read, "Friends don't let friends go to bed without removing their makeup," writing back, "Friends don't drop friends when they're suffering, but hey."
In a statement posted on its Instagram account, Neutrogena said "we are deeply saddened by" Panettiere's death.
"For more than a decade, Hayden was a valued member of our Neutrogena community," the statement read. "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 continued by applauding Panettiere's "courage in sharing her challenges" and saying that it is 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." Neutrogena said it will share further details at a later date.
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