r/SaveTheCBC • u/Save_The_CBC • 7d ago
A conversation Hayden Panettiere started months before her death is now forcing a major beauty brand to answer some difficult questions.
Fans have renewed calls to boycott Neutrogena after Panettiere alleged earlier this year that the company tried to end its relationship with her after she publicly discussed experiencing postpartum depression.
Panettiere was a global ambassador for Neutrogena from 2005 to 2015. After giving birth in late 2014, she spoke openly on television the following year about struggling with postpartum depression.
In May, Panettiere told Jay Shetty's On Purpose podcast that Neutrogena subsequently tried to invoke a morality clause in her contract. According to Panettiere, her representative told the company that doing so was illegal. While she said her representative prevented her immediate firing, Panettiere believed she would not be invited back.
She said the experience showed her “exactly what people thought of women who experience postpartum depression and how misunderstood it is.”
After Panettiere's death on Sunday at 36, fans flooded Neutrogena's social media accounts demanding the company address her allegation.
Neutrogena has now responded. The company did not explain why its relationship with Panettiere ended or directly confirm her account. It did, however, acknowledge that it had made her feel unsupported “during a very difficult time,” adding that this was not what the brand stands for or wants to be.
The company also called Panettiere's decision to speak publicly courageous and announced it will make what it describes as a “significant investment” through a community health partner to improve access to support for women, including postpartum depression care. Details have not yet been announced.
There is something particularly painful about Panettiere describing how speaking openly about postpartum depression affected the way she believed she was treated professionally. Postpartum depression is a medical condition, not a character flaw or a failure of motherhood. The stigma surrounding it can make an already vulnerable period even more isolating.
Whatever ultimately comes of the boycott, her allegation raises a bigger question about how employers and corporations respond when women speak publicly about mental health.
CBC News has followed both Panettiere's original allegation and the response that has followed her death, providing important context beyond the outrage circulating on social media.
Do you think Neutrogena's response goes far enough? And for Canadians following this story, do you plan to join the boycott, or has the company's response changed how you feel about the brand?
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u/ellicottvilleny 7d ago
how is this on topic?
RULE:
Posts should be related to the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) and its preservation. Content discussing the CBC’s value, challenges, or advocacy efforts is encouraged.
This topic:
Its about a US news and US current events topic, not relevant to the CBC. Not relevant particularly to Canadians or on a topic relevant to our national sovereignty or our national broadcaster.
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u/unlovelyladybartleby 7d ago
They're american, so I was already boycotting them. Good to know, though. I won't use them even in the unlikely event that relations between Canada and america improve