Neutrogena faces boycott calls after Hayden Panettiere’s death and claims over postpartum depression firing

Neutrogena is facing a wave of public criticism following the death of actor Hayden Panettiere, as resurfaced comments about her decade-long relationship with the skincare brand have gone viral and reignited scrutiny of how the company handled her departure as brand ambassador.

What happened

Hayden Panettiere, known for her roles in Nashville and Heroes, died on August 16 at the age of 36. She was found unresponsive inside a residence in Greenville, South Carolina, where she had been temporarily staying. First responders discovered her in cardiac arrest and attempted advanced life-support measures before she was pronounced dead at 2:32 pm. An autopsy found 'no signs of trauma' that contributed to her death, according to Greenville County Coroner Mike Ellis, and police have said the preliminary investigation revealed no foul play or suspicious circumstances. Her official cause and manner of death remain under investigation.

Panettiere's account of her Neutrogena split

Neutrogena featured Panettiere in advertising campaigns between 2005 and 2015. In her 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, she claimed the company ended her long-standing contract after she spoke publicly about her struggle with postpartum depression on Live with Kelly and Michael in 2015.

Panettiere elaborated on the split in a May appearance on Jay Shetty's podcast, where she described her partnership with Neutrogena, saying the brand's morals clause had a significant impact on her life as a teenager under constant paparazzi scrutiny, covering everything from a cigarette she smoked to a bad outfit or a critical comment about her appearance. Reflecting on the timing of her firing, she said it was the last thing she expected the company to let her go over: "Of all the things to... that they would fire me over, this was the last thing that I thought they would ever fire me over."

Panettiere had given birth to her daughter, Kaya, with former partner Wladimir Klitschko, and entered treatment for severe postpartum depression less than a year after becoming a mother. Neutrogena has not publicly explained the reasoning behind the end of the partnership.

Why the backlash intensified after her death

Panettiere's comments had already sparked some online criticism when her memoir was released in May, but the backlash has grown substantially since her death. One Reddit post proposing a boycott of the company in her honour gathered more than 5,000 upvotes, with commenters vowing never to purchase Neutrogena products again. A separate post on X, which gathered more than 34,000 likes, accused Neutrogena of firing Panettiere for speaking candidly about postpartum depression.

The company's own social media accounts have also seen an influx of critical comments from users condemning the brand over its treatment of Panettiere. Real Housewives of New York City alum Carole Radziwill was among those who publicly criticised the brand, commenting on one of its posts that it "deserve[s] the hate."

Neutrogena's response

Neutrogena has not returned requests for comment and has not issued a public statement addressing Panettiere's death or the backlash. According to WRAL, crisis communications experts have noted the risk in the brand's continued silence. One communications specialist observed that this is not a situation that can be resolved with a press release, and that the company now has limited ability to make amends with someone who spoke publicly about the issue before her death, noting that public silence is being filled by the public's own narrative online.