A former endorser alleging discrimination is a PR crisis for any brand. But when the allegation comes from a beloved star who’s just died tragically and young, the damage could be beyond repair.
That’s the situation in which Neutrogena finds itself in the wake of the untimely death of actress Hayden Panetteire, 36, on Aug. 16.
To promote her new memoir, This is Me: a Reckoning, Panetteire—who first rose to fame on NBC’s Heroes—appeared on Jay Shetty’s podcast, On Purpose, a week before Hachette released the book on May 19. One hour into the interview, Panettiere claimed that Neutrogena fired her after she spoke about postpartum depression during an appearance on Live! With Kelly and Michael in 2015.
