Neutrogena Responds to Backlash in Wake of Onetime Ambassador Hayden Panettiere’s Death

Neutrogena released a statement Thursday about the death of Hayden Panettiere, the brand’s former 10-year-long ambassador, in the wake of a social media firestorm and proposed boycott. The company said it is “saddened” by her passing and committed to making a “significant investment” in an unnamed partner to support women’s access to care for things like postpartum depression.

“We are deeply saddened by Hayden Panettiere’s passing,” the beauty brand posted on Instagram this afternoon. “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 statement comes amid a turbulent week for Neutrogena — at least in the brand’s comments sections — as Panettiere supporters flooded social media to criticize the company over claims she made in her recent memoir, This is Me: A Reckoning, and in interviews. After welcoming her daughter, Panettiere revealed she suffered from postpartum depression, and she went into detail how devastating the condition was for her as a new mother.

Panettiere claimed that Neutrogena elected to not renew her contract by citing a morality clause, and while her agent intervened in an attempt to save the deal, it was not successful. When Panettiere’s memoir came out in May, fans picked up on the anecdote and pursued a boycott. However, after Panettiere’s sudden death on Sunday, those calls were renewed and only seemed to gather steam as the week went on. Her supporters flooded the comments section on handfuls of posts from TikTok to Instagram. “Shame on you,” wrote one user. “So y’all sell products to women but are against women?!?! How does that work exactly,” wrote another.

“Hayden’s courage in sharing her challenges helped inspire important conversations and awareness. We are 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,” continued the company statement. Neutrogena did not disclose that partner but revealed that the company would share more details when plans are set.

Veteran actress and former child star Panettiere was found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest inside an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina on Sunday. Officials on a 911 call were reportedly heard mentioning an “overdose” and “cardiac arrest” around the time of her death. An official cause of death has not yet been announced. ABC News reported Wednesday that the Drug Enforcement Administration had joined the investigation into Panettiere’s death.