Neutrogena acknowledges Hayden Panettiere backlash after actress's death

Skin care, cosmetics, and hair care company Neutrogena addressed the controversy over its past partnership with the late actress Hayden Panettiere this week, specifically its decision not to renew Panettiere's contract as a global brand ambassador after she spoke out about her experience with postpartum depression more than a decade ago.

"We are deeply saddened by Hayden Panettiere's passing," the company said in a statement shared on Instagram on Thursday. "For more than a decade, Hayden was a valued member of our Neutrogena community. We are proud to have partnered with her and understand that we made her feel unsupported during a very difficult time."

It added, "This is not what Neutrogena stands for or who we want to be."

Panettiere, who died on Sunday at age 36, wrote about her decade-long partnership with the brand in her memoir "This Is Me: A Reckoning," which was released in May this year," and spoke about the business relationship in interviews at the time.

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