Neutrogena has finally spoken out about how it handled its relationship with Hayden Panettiere, admitting that the company made its former ambassador feel “unsupported” during what it described as “a very difficult time.” The statement was released on Thursday, August 20, four days after Panettiere’s death at the age of 36, following continued backlash over the skincare brand’s decision not to renew her contract nearly a decade ago.
“For more than a decade, Hayden was a valued member of our Neutrogena community,” the company wrote on Instagram. “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 it waited to address the situation “out of respect for Hayden’s family and loved ones” and shared its condolences with everyone who knew her.
Neutrogena also revealed plans to make a “significant investment” in a longtime community health partner to help expand access to postpartum depression care. However, the company did not name the organization, reveal how much it plans to invest or share when the initiative will begin.
“Hayden’s courage in sharing her challenges helped inspire important conversations and awareness,” the statement continued. Neutrogena said additional details would be announced once the plans are finalized.
Panettiere served as a Neutrogena ambassador from 2005 to 2015 and became one of the skincare brand’s most recognizable faces during her rise to fame on Heroes. In a May interview with Jay Shetty, she claimed company executives wanted to fire her after she opened up about postpartum depression during a 2015 appearance on Live With Kelly and Michael.
According to Panettiere, her representative stepped in, but Neutrogena eventually allowed her contract to expire. “Of all the things that they would fire me over, this is the last thing that I thought they would ever fire me over,” she recalled.
The actress said losing the relationships she had built within the company over a decade “really broke my heart.”
Following Panettiere’s death, the interview resurfaced and intensified pressure on Neutrogena to address the circumstances surrounding the end of their partnership. While the company’s Thursday statement acknowledged that she felt unsupported, it did not confirm whether her decision to speak publicly about postpartum depression led to the end of her contract.
Panettiere said the topic came up unexpectedly during the television interview and insisted she was simply speaking honestly about her experience.
“I was just being honest,” she told Shetty. “Never for a second did I think that anyone cared or that anyone would have a bad reaction to it. It was my truth.”
Panettiere was found unresponsive at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina, on Aug. 16 and was pronounced dead after first responders attempted to revive her.
An autopsy found no contributing trauma, while police said there was no evidence of foul play. Her cause and manner of death remain under investigation, with the DEA now assisting local authorities.
