Hayden Panettiere has revealed that executives at Neutrogena wanted to terminate her 10-year endorsement deal after she publicly spoke about her battle with postpartum depression. The actress, who welcomed her daughter Kaya in December 2014, opened up about her experience on Live with Kelly and Michael in September 2015.
"Neutrogena was a significant part of my life," she began on Jay Shetty's On Purpose podcast. "They monitored everything I did, and among all the things they could have fired me for, this was the last thing I thought they would ever do."
Shortly after her appearance on the U.S. talk show, Hayden received a call from the skincare brand, who wanted to end her contract due to a morality clause. Her representative at the time advised that it was illegal for them to do so. However, even though she was saved that year, Hayden knew that it would be her last.
The following year, when her contract wasn't renewed, the Nashville star was surprised by the lack of support or concern from anyone. "I had worked with these people for 10 years, and I remember not hearing a word from anybody," she recalled. "It really broke my heart."
Hayden, 36, explained that she didn't plan to talk about it during the 2015 interview, but the subject "just came up." She didn't expect anyone to have a negative reaction because she was sharing "her truth."
"I wouldn't change it for the world. I wouldn't take it back," she stated. "But as I said, among all the things I had been caught doing, this being the thing that drew the line and was considered 'immoral' was shocking to me."
The Scream 4 actress added that the experience made her realize the level of stigma surrounding postpartum depression and how widely misunderstood it was at that time.
Representatives for Neutrogena have yet to address Hayden's allegations, which she first made in an interview with Us Weekly last week. They also appear in her upcoming memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," which will be released on May 19th.
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