Neutrogena Apologizes to Late Hayden Panettiere Over Past Contract Dispute

On the podcast, Panettiere said the PPD conversation “just came up and I was just being honest.” She said she never “for a second did I think that anyone cared or that anyone would have a bad reaction to it.” When her representative told her firing her over it “that’s illegal you can’t do that,” she realized “that I was gonna be invited back the next year” – she was not.

In her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” published in May, Panettiere wrote about her struggles after giving birth. “Ever since Kaya’s birth, all my natural optimism and pep had vanished,” she wrote. “The three months I planned to take off seemed like an eternity, with long days of nothingness stretching before me.” She said she began self-medicating with wine.

PPD affects 1 in 7 women, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The condition is more severe than the “baby blues,” involving extreme sadness, anger, trouble bonding with the baby, insomnia, or violent ideations.

Neutrogena said it had held off on a statement “out of respect for Hayden’s family and loved ones.” The company described Panettiere as “a valued member of our Neutrogena community” and said her “courage in sharing her challenges helped inspire important conversations.”

Neutrogena pledged “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.” The company did not name the partner or specify the amount.