Neutrogena Faces Renewed Backlash Over Decision to Drop Hayden Panettiere

The skin-care giant is facing a wave of online criticism in the wake of the death of actress Hayden Panettiere, who was a brand ambassador for Neutrogena for a decade before the company ended the partnership in 2015. The split came shortly after Panettiere publicly discussed her experience with postpartum depression. In a memoir published earlier this year, she recounted that Neutrogena attempted to drop her after she disclosed her mental health struggles.

This week's backlash has been driven by creators and fans who are accusing the company of abandoning the actress during a vulnerable period. The situation follows a separate, lighter controversy involving current ambassador Tate McRae, who recently misused Neutrogena makeup wipes in a promotional video, drawing mockery rather than outrage.

Neutrogena is not the first brand to face social-media-led boycott calls; Target encountered similar pressure last year. But as a major global beauty label, Neutrogena now stands out as a high-profile example of how quickly fans can call out a brand for past blunders, even years later.

Manica Blain, an angel investor in beauty brands and founder of Top Knot Ventures, said influencer culture and the rise of founders building brands in public have primed beauty companies for potential backlash. “Virality cuts both ways, whether good or bad,” Blain said, adding that there is often “little bandwidth for remembering these things,” citing the recent Patrick Ta “transition bush” controversy as an example.