Hayden Panettiere died tragically on Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina. While a cause of death has not been officially determined, audio obtained from EMS on the scene suggests that she passed from an overdose. People are sharing their memories of Hayden, and she was a lovely person who cared deeply about others. It’s still hard for me to grasp that she’s gone, and I was just a fan. People who knew her are devastated.
While promoting her memoir earlier this year, Hayden spoke about the fallout from going public with her struggle with postpartum depression in 2015. In her interview on Jay Shetty’s podcast she said that Neutrogena dumped her as a spokesperson for that. She had been working with the brand for ten years at that point. Neutrogena cited the morals clause in their contract, as if it’s a moral failing to have a mental health issue. Here’s the segment where Hayden told Jay about it. If you’d like to see the YouTube video instead that’s at the bottom of this story. I’m also including her 2015 reveal on Kelly Ripa’s show. I covered it at the time and I thought she was minimizing what she went through, which is understandable. It makes more sense now that we know she didn’t plan to discuss it. She was so professional about it and I’m really floored that Neutrogena found it grounds to dismiss Hayden.
Hayden Panettiere in May of this year talking about Neutrogena ending her endorsement deal after she talked about her struggles with postpartum depression in 2015 pic.twitter.com/WOPWHX79RT
— Lunar Surfer (@TheLunarSurfer) August 17, 2026
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To her immense credit, Hayden went on to talk about her postpartum depression and subsequent struggle with addiction for years. It came at a great cost to her but she surely helped so many women.
People are calling for a boycott of Neutrogena for this. The brand is mid anyway. I’ve never used their skincare but they have some decent sunscreen that’s since been eclipsed by more modern brands like Supergoop and Elf.
Screw you @Neutrogena I’m telling everyone I know that your products are unethical and cause bad skin ! https://t.co/feP2edUdwo
— 🌙 (@poetartistry) August 18, 2026
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I really hope this puts more brands on notice, but we’ve seen how out of control capitalism has become, to put it mildly. The show Nashville is also coming under scrutiny. Hayden’s character went through postpartum depression at the same time Hayden was dealing with it. She’s talked about how difficult that was for her and how she wasn’t sure her character’s story arc was a coincidence.
Hayden Panettiere — Neutrogena commercial (2010) 💕🕊️🫧 Truly a child prodigy we’ll always remember <3 pic.twitter.com/9ajXh58s7H
— $ (@2000sphase) August 17, 2026
Hayden’s ex fiance, Wladimir Klitschko, has issued a statement about her passing. He has been raising their 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, since 2018. Hayden has been open about the difficult decision she made to give up custody when she was struggling.
Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief.
The announcement of Hayden’s tragic death saddens me deeply. She left this world far too soon. Hayden was, although no longer my partner, an important part of my life and the mother of our daughter, Kaya.
She built… pic.twitter.com/etL169NOmB
— Klitschko (@Klitschko) August 18, 2026
Here’s Hayden’s 2015 reveal on Live with Kelly and Micheal. It starts around 5:45 in case that’s not queued up.
And here’s her talk with Jay Shetty. She talks about losing the Neutrogena contract at 1 hour in.
Photos credit: Avalon.red and Getty
I have been reading on SM the need to boycott Neutrogena for this, especially with the Lindsey Clancy trial going on. Women should not be penalized for something they have no control over.
I’d guess that the majority of Neutrogena products are purchased by women — even those that are marketed as gender neutral or towards men. I’d say that a boycott is in order.
I would guess that’s true. I had a (female) dermatologist who was super keen on everything Neutrogena, it was almost weird. I’d love to bring this up with her.
God, it’s sad. The Nashville storyline really bothers me as well as the neutragena one. I hate that she went through that and that she’s gone now. Slightly on topic, but for a relatively cheap skin care brand, I’ve been trying skin1004. My peri skin is super weird right now so im trying different things.
Jais Surgical Menopause made my skin feel like it no longer belonged on my body. I really like some of the Dollar tree dupes. The Dollar Tree sells knock-off versions of The Ordinary serums and various specific brands/lines (Neutrogena Hydroboost, Olay, Dermasil, Brazilian Bum Bum cream, etc). Some of the products are shockingly good. Most of the knock-offs are probably ultimately made by the same corporations that produce the namebrands with massive price mark-ups. I will never willingly give money to Johnson & Johnson (Neutrogena’s parent company) or Estee Lauder if I can avoid it. The monopolies must be broken up because they have been allowed to so thoroughly control markets they are not avoidable. Neutrogena is being added to the completely boycott list. Nothing should shock any of us in regards to how anyone not a cis white man is treated, but I cannot believe she was treated like that so recently. Disgraceful company.
Just FYI, though it doesn’t affect your primary point, J&J spun off its Consumer Healthcare division a couple of years ago into a separate company, Kenvue. In addition to Neutrogena, Kenvue’s brands include Band-Aid, Aveeno, Benadryl, Pepcid – and Tylenol, which has had a story of its own (and may be one reason J&J spun off the division as Kenvue). Kimberly-Clark is in the process of acquiring Kenvue.
I really love ColourPop’s skincare products. Independent brand, 100% cruelty-free, and I think individual products are all $16 or less (and if you’re the kind of person who’s a sucker for cute packaging, they tick that box as well). My 14-year-old stepdaughter loves it, and I’ve had excellent results on my 34-year-old skin, but I also made a convert of my 70-something MIL when she forgot some of her own skincare during her last visit.
I’ve been using Kiehl’s products since reading, ‘skin, appears dry’, in my doctor’s notes for a recent visit. My skin certainly feels better.
And as someone who will buy whatever is available at the best price & has gone back to Neutrogena time & again for both skin care & sun block, never again. I had no idea they did this to Hayden! Reminds me of when Tom Cruise criticized Brook Shields for talking about her post-natal depression & taking medication for it. Geez, leave women alone! They have a hard enough time as it is with a new baby!
Wow, you guys, thank you for these recs! I’m def going to look into all of them. Out of nowehere, in April, super painful cystic acne erupted on my cheeks and nose and it’s been nonstop ever since. At 46! I’m def gonna look into these recs. I’ve been using benzoyl peroxide and super acne safe moisturizer and it’s cleared alot but obv I’ve fucked my already drying skin that is somehow getting painful inflamed cysts! At this age. And yes I know peri skin can cause acne but this has been wild.
Just a quick PSA aside from Depression women can also suffer from PostPartum Anxiety and Psychosis
…. As well as prenatal depression.
I don’t know why her death impacted me so much. Maybe it’s because she emerged this year and she looked good and happy and sober, and it really looked like she had turned the ship around and it would be smooth sailing from here on in. I do commend her for realizing that she could not raise her daughter in the condition she was in. She insulated her child from her suffering. (On a side note, she looks so much like Florence Pugh in that Kelly interview. I never noticed before.)
I have boycotted Neutrogena for crappy products for years. My boycott happily continues.
Shame on these big brands for punishing women for not pretending to have happy perfect lives 24/7 to sell junk. Just infuriates me.
Look how fast Dior went back to Johnny Depp. Funny how the rules change when it comes to men.
I agree – Neutrogena is junk. Their makeup remover does not do what it claims it does.
I just want to say that I really appreciate her ex’s statement, with bis promise to always speak of Hayden with respect to their daughter. My own mom died of an overdose, following a very well-hidden relapse from an addiction that my dad had believed was in the past, and left him to raise 5-year-old me on his own. He had every reason to resent her for that, but I can’t remember him ever speaking disrespectfully of her in my presence. Her addiction and death was discussed in honest but age-appropriate ways, but above all he made sure to represent her as the kind, intelligent, talented woman she was, and ensured that I never thought of her as a moral failure. As a result, I feel like I have much less trauma than many people I know who lost a parent in a similar way. The way you speak to a child about their deceased parent is SO IMPORTANT for their own emotional well-being, and for nurturing compassion for others who struggle with mental health and addiction.
Your dad is a good man.
Thank you so much for saying this. I was a typical child of divorce and my parents bad mouthed each other all the time. As a result, I grew up feeling so much guilt and anxiety for feeling loyal to both parents. My mother outgrew that behavior and has made amends for it. My father is still just as petty.
Your father sounds like a wonderful man, and very strong. I’m sure he struggled quite a bit but he shielded you from it.
This is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing it. I am sorry for the loss of your mother, and glad the memory of her is a blessing to you and that your father has so much grace.
So so sad. Watched the early seasons of Nashville and she was so good.
I remember a long form article in maybe Thé New Yorker about how our current model of addiction rehab and recovery is actually dangerous for opioid users. That the emphasis is on staying clean, but that’s just incredibly difficult compared to alcohol Thé model ignores that getting drunk after becoming sober won’t kill you, but taking your old dosage of opioids certainly will.
If Neutrogena wants to fire and punish the women they work with for having problems related to being women, they can do without any of my money.
I just removed all of the recurrent Neutrogena purchases from my grocery order and put a note in our family shopping list not to purchase Neutrogena again I’m about to hit send on an email to my adult children asking them to boycott and share.
I’ve been boycotting Nestlé since the 80s. Once they’re off my list, they’re permanently off my list.
I’m with you on the boycott front. Once a brand, brand execs have shown their asses, I’m done. It doesn’t go as far back as the 80’s, but this morning I came across a can of Goya beans in my cupboard that I knew must be old enough to toss in the trash. Because I haven’t purchased a Goya product since Ivanka posted glamour shots with a can of beans from the White House.
Maybe if a company learned from the boycott and seriously changed their ways, associations, I’d consider rethinking my spending choice, but I can’t think of a case of that happening?
And back to the post, I’d missed HP’s statement about Neutrogena’s actions – it’s absolutely horrible all around – that execs chose to cut her off for acknowledging she suffered from mental illness that a LOT of women struggled with, citing a *flippin MORALs clause* and that all the NG people she dealt with dropped her cold, no outreach, no well wishes, nothing. They are ALL trash humans.
Postpartum depression is immoral? Ooooo…Neutrogena you are so done.
I haven’t used Neutrogena since my teen years. It’s not a cruelty free brand. But this still makes me so mad. I wish I could boycott them. A brand for women who markets itself as being a friend to our gender, to find a condition specific to women too problematic for women?
I am utterly speechless. Way to show up for women, Neutrogena.
I rarely comment but since everyone is sharing recommendations I figured why not. I’m very cost conscious, one of friend’s calls me Bargain Betty. I’m 69 and have always had very dry skin. Since I retired 3 years ago(as of Sept 1st) I’ve become very lazy. I now use Trader Joe’s stuff. Eye cream, 2 different serums, a day gel and a night cream. Very reasonable prices and my sensitive skin has never had a bad reaction. My lazy ass can go there and get all my other favorite goodies and my skin care in one place.
Trader Joe’s FTW! I use the eye cream and the night serum. I splurge on Pacifica Beauty for a few things, but TJ’s just keeps getting better and better. I also use olive oil on my skin about once a week.
This is disappointing. I LOVE Neutrogena Hydro Boost products. Using the morals clause as if postpartum depression is a choice, a personal failure, is deeply disturbing. especially as a health & welfare company @Neutrogena I’m crushed but WILL react with my wallet. We’re done.