Hayden Panettiere’s death has reopened an old wound between the late actress and Neutrogena, with fans now calling for a boycott of the skincare brand over how it allegedly handled her battle with postpartum depression.
Panettiere, 36, died on 16 August in South Carolina after being found unresponsive. Authorities have reported no signs of trauma or foul play, while her official cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and toxicology results.
Soon after her death, fans resurfaced comments from Panettiere’s 2026 memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning and her May appearance on Jay Shetty’s podcast. She had been Neutrogena’s global ambassador from 2005 to 2015 and said the relationship fractured after she publicly discussed her postpartum depression in 2015. She claimed the brand considered the disclosure a possible violation of a “morals clause” and wanted to end her contract. Her representative intervened, but Panettiere said the partnership was not renewed the following year.
Panettiere said the decision deeply hurt her, particularly after a decade-long relationship with the brand. She recalled receiving no personal message from Neutrogena when their partnership ended.
Her comments have now triggered renewed anger online. Fans have called for a boycott, with one Reddit post reportedly receiving more than 6,500 upvotes.
Neutrogena has since addressed the backlash. The brand said it was “deeply saddened” by Panettiere’s death and acknowledged that it had made her feel unsupported during a difficult period. It also pledged a “significant investment” in a women’s community health partner to expand access to support, including care for postpartum depression. The company said it delayed its response out of respect for Panettiere’s family.
For fans, however, the controversy has become part of a larger conversation about celebrity, mental health and how women are treated when they speak openly about struggles that do not fit a “perfect” public image.
