Hayden Panettiere was one of the most recognizable names of the 2000s and 2010s. Though she’s taken time away from the spotlight in recent years, she shares in her upcoming memoir that a lot of this wasn’t by choice.
Fans may recognize Panettiere from her stints in Disney Channel Original Movies like Tiger Cruise, or roles in the Bring it On franchise. Perhaps some of her more memorable roles include Claire Bennet on Heroes or Juliette Barnes on Nashville.
At the height of her fame, she appeared in several campaigns for Neutrogena as part of a decade-long partnership she had with the brand. But in 2016, Neutrogena ended the partnership and opted not to renew her contract after she spoke about postpartum depression during an episode of Live! With Kelly and Michael the year prior.
“It’s something completely uncontrollable, and it’s really painful, and it’s really scary, and women need a lot of support,” said Panettiere in the 2015 interview, following the birth of her daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko.
She wrote about this moment in her upcoming memoir This is Me: A Reckoning.
“Neutrogena canceled my long-standing contract, and it was yet another blow in a year that had given almost nothing else,” Panettiere said in an excerpt sent to press.
She shared more about this moment on an episode of Jay Shetty’s podcast On Purpose that dropped on Tuesday, May 12. Panettiere expressed disappointment over the fact that while she had previously been photographed partying and smoking cigarettes, it was her speaking out about mental health that led to the dissolution of her contract.
At the time of writing, Neutrogena has not commented on the matter.
Elsewhere in the memoir, Panettiere opens up about her sexuality, revealing that she is bisexual. She also details a harrowing account of sexual assault by a “very famous actor.”
This is Me: A Reckoning is on shelves Tuesday, May 19.
