Neutrogena’s Statement on Hayden Panettiere Never Once Uses the Word “Sorry”

Instead of apologizing, Neutrogena pledged to fund more support for women experiencing postpartum depression through a longtime community health partner. It did not name the organization, disclose the size of the investment or say when those resources would become available. Maybe actions speak louder than words?

Panettiere said that after she talked about her postpartum depression on live TV in 2015, Neutrogena called to say it wanted to fire her. After 10 years together, she said, nobody at the brand ever thanked her or reached out again.

Neutrogena broke its silence on Hayden Panettiere nearly five days after she died, and the statement never once says “sorry” or “apology.”

Here’s the full text the brand posted to Instagram:

“We are deeply saddened by Hayden Panettiere’s passing. 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. 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. We will share more details with this community when plans are in place. Out of respect for Hayden’s family and loved ones, we did not want to speak out so soon following her passing. Everyone at Neutrogena extends their deepest condolences to Hayden’s family and all who loved her.”

The backlash was already building. Panettiere had been a Neutrogena ambassador since she was a teenager, around 2005, and in her May 2026 memoir and on Jay Shetty’s “On Purpose” podcast she said the company moved to fire her, citing a morals clause, after she spoke openly about postpartum depression on “Live with Kelly and Michael” in 2015. Her rep intervened and told them they couldn’t terminate her contract for that reason. She stayed on through the year, wasn’t renewed the next, and said she never heard from anyone at the company again.

Hayden Panettiere relaxes with her mother Lesley Vogel aboard a yacht on Sydney Harbour on March 31, 2009, during her visit to Australia as a spokesperson for the Whaleman Foundation’s anti-whaling campaign. Photo by Peter Carrette Archive / Getty Images.

Kenvue, the parent company that also owns Tylenol and Aveeno, saw its stock move about 2% in the days after her death as boycott calls spread, within the range of ordinary daily fluctuation.

Panettiere died August 16 at 36 in Greenville, South Carolina.

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