Hayden Panettiere Fans Pledge to Boycott Neutrogena Following Tragic Death
Fans of Hayden Panettiere are once again pledging to boycott the beauty brand Neutrogena following the actress’s unexpected death.
“I will never purchase from them again! They should have been supporting her and other women rather than withdrawing support,” one Reddit user expressed on Monday, August 17, just a day after the Heroes and Nashville star passed away at the age of 36. The new wave of criticism follows claims made in Panettiere’s May memoir that Neutrogena had “cancelled” her “long-standing contract” due to her struggles with postpartum depression.
The brand initially faced backlash from Panettiere’s supporters upon the release of her memoir, titled This Is Me: A Reckoning, but did not respond publicly to the criticism at that time.
Us has reached out to Neutrogena for a statement.
A fresh wave of consumer backlash has also targeted the brand’s Threads account, with social media users responding to a 2023 post from Neutrogena that stated, “Friends don’t let friends go to bed without removing their makeup.”
One commenter stated on Sunday, August 16, “Friends also don’t try to fire employees for openly discussing postpartum depression, but apparently this brand does.” Another user added, “Hayden deserved better. Women deserve better. I’m done supporting Neutrogena.”
Panettiere raised her claims against Neutrogena in her book, detailing mental health struggles following the birth of her daughter Kaya in 2011, whom she shares with ex Wladimir Klitschko. She described how the Nashville producers had to temporarily write her character out of the show, and she questioned Neutrogena’s decision to terminate their contract completely.
“The producers had to write me out of the script temporarily — which broke my heart because I always took pride in my professionalism — and I made a statement about where I was going and why,” Panettiere wrote. “My fans and the press were incredibly sympathetic — and I will always appreciate that — but a part of my career I had relied on suffered. Neutrogena canceled my long-standing contract, and it was just another setback in a year that had offered little else.”
Panettiere died suddenly in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday. Her father, Skip, confirmed the news to Us via a representative for his daughter. “It is with profound sadness that we announce the tragic passing of our cherished Hayden. She was an extraordinary light and a force of nature who brought immense love and joy to everyone around her — and to the millions who watched her perform,” Skip stated. “We ask for privacy as our family navigates this unimaginable loss.”
The circumstances surrounding her death, which is still under investigation with no cause confirmed at the time of publication, prompted a filmmaker who worked with Panettiere on her 2025 horror-comedy A Breed Apart to reveal concerns about her well-being during filming.
“I had known Hayden for about a decade prior to that, and I was aware of her incredible talent, so when she agreed to work on this project, I was thrilled,” director Griff Furst shared in an Instagram video posted on Monday. “On set, I received word from the movie’s security team, who picked her up from the airport, that something seemed off.”
Furst, 44, elaborated, “I didn’t pay much mind to it, so I stepped away from set to greet her and her boyfriend Brian [Hickerson]. He opened the door. Hayden was incredibly sweet and gracious and seemed excited to work, but it was clear she was not OK.”
A police report dated Tuesday, August 18, from the Greenville City Police Department, which was obtained by Us, indicates that officials spoke to Panettiere’s ex-boyfriend Hickerson, 37, and his brother, Zach Hickerson, at an apartment complex in Greenville on the day she passed away.
“After EMS declared Hayden deceased, I escorted Zach and Brian out of the apartment,” the police report explained regarding the events of Sunday. “I noticed Zach was very emotional while EMS worked on Hayden. Brian didn’t show emotion until EMS pronounced her dead.”
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