Neutrogena addresses backlash over Hayden Panettiere
by Juliet La Sala · The Washington TimesNeutrogena has issued a statement acknowledging it made actress Hayden Panettiere, who died Sunday, feel “unsupported,” after facing days of backlash over her 2015 firing from the company.
Ms. Panettiere said in a May interview on Jay Shetty’s “On Purpose” podcast that the skincare brand fired her after she spoke publicly about postpartum depression during a 2015 appearance on “Live with Kelly and Michael.”
In its statement, Neutrogena said it was “proud to have partnered with her” but acknowledged the firm “made her feel unsupported during a very difficult time.” The company said it is “making a significant investment to a long-standing community health partner” to expand access to postpartum depression care.
No partner organization is identified in the statement.
Neutrogena said it delayed responding out of respect for Ms. Panettiere’s family.
Ms. Panettiere, 36, died Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina, where authorities said emergency responders found her in cardiac arrest. The Drug Enforcement Administration is assisting in the investigation.
The backlash intensified after clips resurfaced from a recent interview in which Ms. Panettiere discussed her firing while promoting her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” prompting some fans to call for a boycott of Neutrogena.
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Juliet La Sala
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