Hayden Panettiere's legacy extends far beyond her acting credentials. In the wake of the 36-year-old's death, thousands of women around the globe have been reposting her frank interviews about postnatal depression, with two particular appearances resurfacing.
Panettiere's 2015 Interview and Its Aftermath
Back in 2015, the Heroes star appeared on Live! with Kelly and Michael, telling the hosts about her 'completely uncontrollable and really painful' experience of PND following the birth of her daughter, Kaya, the year before. 'It's really scary, and women need a lot of support,' she said.
Soon afterwards, Panettiere claimed her longstanding brand deal with Neutrogena was called into question. In her memoir, This is Me: A Reckoning, Panettiere alleged the skincare brand attempted to terminate her contract due to a 'morality clause'. Her team fought back, but her 10-year deal wasn't extended the following year.
Panettiere's Own Words
In May this year, the star elaborated on her side of the story, telling Jay Shetty's podcast: 'When I went on Live with Kelly and Michael, I had no intention or plan to talk about postpartum depression. It just came up and I was just being honest. Never for a second did I think that anyone would have a bad reaction to it — it was my truth.
'So 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." And even though she saved the day that year, I knew that that was going to be it.'
Persisting Stigma and Women's Experiences
A decade later, stigma surrounding postpartum/postnatal depression is just as insidious. 'Hayden Panettiere's openness about her experience of postpartum depression gave language and validation to millions of women who felt alone in what they were going through,' Michelle Kennedy, CEO and founder of parenting app Peanut, tells Metro. 'What happened next (losing a campaign because she'd told the truth about her mental health) showed exactly why so many women still hide it.
'Ten years on, that underlying pattern hasn't gone away: women are praised for honesty in the abstract, but there can still be real professional and social consequences when they're honest about struggling.'
Kat Romero, 38 and from London, resonated 'so much' with Panettiere's struggle, particularly when the star described her struggle to connect with her daughter. Sharing her own experience, Kat tells Metro: 'After a terrible labour involving days of failed inductions, hours and hours of unmedicated contractions and, eventually, an emergency C-section, I felt numb when he was placed in my arms. And things didn't get better when we got home.
'He didn't sleep. I felt like I was losing my mind, living in a hell of my own making and consumed by shame that I wasn't experiencing the love bubble that seemed to dominate my Instagram feed.
'I tried to smile for photos, reply to the wave of congratulation messages with tales of how in love I was. But it was all a lie.'
A low point came a few days in, when her son, River, now four, wouldn't stop crying. 'I shouted at my husband, "Get that baby out of my house." Instead, my husband convinced me to come for a walk with him and our son in the pram.
'I sobbed loudly on the street as passers-by just stared. I felt inhuman. Even animals loved their babies, I thought, and here I was: cold, unfeeling and drowning in sadness.
'Thankfully, my husband didn't judge me. He convinced me that I needed help, which I eventually got through medication and therapy. Slowly, things lifted. But the shame has stayed with me.'
Another Injustice: Posthumous Recognition
Kat describes feeling 'enraged' by Panettiere's claim she lost brand deals after disclosing her struggles with PND. Another injustice, says mum-of-two Rose Stokes, is that some are only hearing this story following the star's death.
'I wish I'd heard this interview before she had died; it is so tragic to me that it wasn't being publicised with the same vigour beforehand,' the 38-year-old from Bath tells Metro. Mum to two children ages two and four, Rose experienced PND after her first, which she says was predominantly caused by difficulties in breastfeeding and 'the gulf between expectation and reality'.
'New motherhood and what follows is the most vulnerable period I've ever lived through; I can totally see without the support I was offered how things could have been different for me.'
The Prevalence and the Need for Support
One in five women experience perinatal mental illness. Despite how common mental health struggles are following childbirth, many mums still live in fear of articulating their struggles out loud. 'On Peanut, we see this every day: PPD and postpartum anxiety are among the topics women are most likely to discuss anonymously before they ever raise them with a doctor, partner, or friend,' says Michelle.
This is why Hayden Panettiere's interviews will remain a powerful part of her legacy. When someone with a high profile talks frankly about these issues, it allows others to feel less alone.
'Like Hayden, I wasn't prepared for postpartum life,' says Kat. 'And there is still this belief that we shouldn't talk about it. That we should instead fill expectant mothers' heads with narratives about "the most joyful chapter ahead" and how "life is about to get so much better".
'But I think that can actually be setting mums up to fail.
Advice and Resources
Is it time to get help? 'You don't have to wait until you are at rock bottom before reaching out, and the earlier someone feels able to talk about what they are experiencing, the better chance there is of getting the right support before difficulties escalate. At PANDAS Foundation, we support all parents and carers with their perinatal mental health, from conception through pregnancy, birth and beyond, through a range of free services across the UK. We would encourage anyone who is finding things difficult to reach out.'
-Sally Bunkham, Chief Communications Officer PANDAS Foundation
'Admitting to people how long it took me to connect with my child, or even confessing that it wasn't until my son was around three that the joyful moments outweighed the hard ones, has always felt incredibly difficult.
'I wish people could understand that I love my son beyond words but the relationship I have with him and the relationship I have with motherhood are two entirely separate things.
'We shouldn't assume the love bubble. We should create enough space for new mums to admit when something doesn't feel quite right.
'I wish people had painted a more realistic picture of motherhood when I was pregnant so that I wouldn't have felt so completely alone.
'And if anyone is struggling right now, please know that there is help, support and absolutely no shame in needing it.'
Metro has contacted Neutrogena for comment.
