Hayden Panettiere Exposes Neutrogena's Shocking Contract Termination Over Postpartum Struggles

Hayden Panettiere is pulling back the curtain on a dark chapter in her life, revealing that Neutrogena cut ties with her after she bravely admitted to grappling with postpartum depression following the birth of her daughter, Kaya, in 2014.

The “Nashville” star claims the beauty giant terminated her “long-standing contract” for allegedly breaching a morality clause. Talk about a betrayal!

In an excerpt from her upcoming memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” Panettiere recounts the harrowing experience of childbirth: “I labored with Kaya for 14 hours and was in surgery for three hours after she was born.”

She details a near-death experience during her C-section, where “my blood wouldn’t clot,” leading to seven transfusions and a fever that wouldn’t quit. “When I woke up in the recovery room, I was exhausted, disoriented, and racked with pain,” she writes.

Post-birth, the “Heroes” alum admits she “needed a drink to function.” The struggles didn’t stop there; after multiple stints in treatment, she found herself written out of “Nashville.” “The producers had no choice but to write me out of the script temporarily — something that killed me because I’d always prided myself on my professionalism,” she laments.

Despite the outpouring of sympathy from fans and media, Panettiere faced a career setback. “Neutrogena canceled my long-standing contract, and it was yet another blow in a year that had given almost nothing else,” she reveals.

Even with a baby, a fiancé, and a “great job,” she felt trapped in a cycle of unhappiness. “I had postpartum depression, and it sucked. I wanted more than anything to get back to that place of happiness, but I didn’t even know where that place was anymore,” she confesses.

WNBCNetwork reached out to Neutrogena for comment but received no immediate response. The brand had signed Panettiere as its face back in 2006, featuring her in major ad campaigns promoting everything from acne wash to skincare essentials.

Her decade-long contract wrapped up around 2016, just months after she candidly discussed her postpartum experience on “Live! with Kelly and Michael.” During that appearance, she described PPD as “something completely uncontrollable” and “really painful,” emphasizing the need for women to receive ample support while battling this “really scary” condition.

On the “Jay Shetty” podcast, Panettiere expressed disbelief over Neutrogena’s decision to fire her for speaking out about her mental health. “When I got that call that Neutrogena wanted to fire me over that, my representative at the time said, ‘That’s illegal. You can’t do that,’” she recalled.

Despite her representative’s efforts, Panettiere knew deep down that her time with the brand was over. Heartbreakingly, she revealed that the people she had collaborated with for a decade never reached out to check on her after her contract wasn’t renewed.