Did Neutrogena sack Hayden Panettiere over ‘postpartum depression’ remark? Boycott calls grow after death

Neutrogena Hit With Boycott Wave After Hayden Panettiere’s Death Resurfaces Old Contract Dispute

Theindiapostdaily.com – The passing of Hollywood actress Hayden Panettiere on August 16 in South Carolina has reignited a years-old controversy involving the skincare company Neutrogena, prompting a fresh wave of boycott demands across social media platforms.

Death and Official Findings

Panettiere, who was 36 at the time of her death, was treated by emergency crews for “cardiac arrest,” according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office. A subsequent autopsy revealed “no signs of trauma.” Police, as reported by the BBC, ruled out any indicators of “foul play or suspicious circumstances.”

She is survived by her daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, now 11 years old. Kaya was born in Hawaii in December 2014 to Panettiere and Ukrainian former heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko.

The Alleged Contract Termination

In her 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, Panettiere recounted that Neutrogena severed its long-running partnership with her after she publicly discussed seeking treatment for postpartum depression following Kaya’s birth. She stated that the disclosure took place during a 2015 appearance on Live! with Kelly and Michael, and that the brand subsequently ended the arrangement.

“Neutrogena canceled my long-standing contract, and it was yet another blow in a year that had given almost nothing else.”

According to The Independent, the actress alleged the company terminated her long-standing contract after she revealed her PPD diagnosis on that talk show. In a May podcast conversation with Jay Shetty, she described the episode more bluntly, saying the company “fired” her in 2016 over the 2015 remarks.

Personal Context and Custody Decision

Panettiere had spoken openly about her struggle with postpartum depression after giving birth to Kaya. She later disclosed that she granted full custody of her daughter to Klitschko while battling addiction and depression, characterizing the decision as both a “living nightmare” and “heartbreaking.”

During the original 2015 interview, she described postpartum depression as

“completely uncontrollable and really painful”

and added,

“It’s really scary, and women need a lot of support.”

Decade-Long Partnership and Morality Clauses

Panettiere had appeared in numerous Neutrogena campaigns and served as a brand ambassador before the relationship ended in 2016, per her account. Speaking to Shetty, she reflected on the scrutiny that accompanied a decade-long association with the brand:

“Neutrogena and I were together for 10 years. They had morality clauses that had a huge impact on my life, because I was a teenager and I had all the paparazzi around me capturing these gory moments. Every moment – every cigarette I smoked, every bad outfit, or [comments like], ‘She’s looking chunky in a bathing suit’, or, ‘She has a fat vagina’.”

She emphasized that, despite years of intense public scrutiny, she never anticipated that candid remarks about postpartum depression would cost her the partnership:

“They caught absolutely everything and out of all the things they would fire me over, this is the last thing I thought they would ever fire me over.”

Social Media Backlash

Following Panettiere’s death, users on X and other platforms began revisiting her claims about the brand. One widely shared post on X, which has accumulated more than 34,000 likes, read:

“Reminder that Neutrogena fired Hayden Panettiere as a brand ambassador because she candidly spoke about her experience with postpartum depression on a talk show! Neutrogena hates women!”

The criticism has extended to Neutrogena’s own official social media accounts, where commenters have directed pointed remarks at the company over its alleged handling of the actress. Carole Radziwill, a former cast member of Real Housewives of New York City, weighed in by commenting on one of the brand’s recent posts:

“You deserve the hate. #hayden.”