Hayden Panettiere Death: Neutrogena addresses backlash, pledges women’s health investment

Neutrogena has issued its first public response to the controversy surrounding late actor Hayden Panettiere, acknowledging that she felt “unsupported” during a difficult period in her life and announcing a significant investment in women’s health initiatives amid growing boycott calls on social media.

The statement comes days after Panettiere’s death reignited criticism over claims she made in her memoir that the beauty brand ended its decade-long ambassadorial partnership after she publicly spoke about postpartum depression. Reportedly, Panettiere’s supporters flooded Neutrogena’s Instagram, TikTok and other social media platforms this week, accusing the brand of abandoning the actor during her mental health struggles. 

Brand admits Panettiere felt ‘unsupported’

In a statement shared on Instagram, Neutrogena said it was “deeply saddened” by Panettiere’s passing and admitted that the actor had not felt supported during one of the most challenging phases of her life.“For more than a decade, Hayden was a valued member of our Neutrogena community. 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 said.

The brand also announced plans to make a “significant investment” in a long-standing community health partner to improve women’s access to care, including support for postpartum depression. Neutrogena has not disclosed the organisation or the value of the investment.

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Why the controversy resurfaced

Panettiere served as Neutrogena’s global ambassador for nearly a decade before the partnership ended in 2015.

In her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, released earlier this year, Panettiere claimed the brand chose not to renew her contract after she opened up about her experience with postpartum depression following the birth of her daughter. She alleged that the company cited a morality clause despite her agent attempting to save the partnership, The Hollywood Reporter reported.

Following the memoir’s release, fans had already called for a boycott of the brand. Those calls intensified after Panettiere’s death, with thousands of users criticising Neutrogena in the comments section of its recent social media posts.

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A reputation management challenge for the brand

Rather than directly addressing the boycott campaign, Neutrogena framed its response around Panettiere’s contribution to raising awareness about postpartum depression.

The company said her willingness to speak publicly about her struggles had helped start important conversations around women’s mental health and that its upcoming investment was intended to expand access to support services for women experiencing postpartum depression.

For marketers, the episode underscores how legacy celebrity partnerships can resurface years later and evolve into a reputational challenge in the social media era. A past brand decision, amplified through a memoir and online communities, has quickly become a conversation around corporate responsibility and women’s health.

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Panettiere, best known for Heroes and Nashville, died on Sunday at the age of 36.

According to media reports,he was found unresponsive in an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina. The publication reported that emergency responders referenced a suspected overdose and cardiac arrest during the 911 call, while ABC News reported that the US Drug Enforcement Administration had joined the investigation. An official cause of death has not yet been announced.