GSK and Lifetime launch original movie to raise awareness about the impact of meningitis

GSK plc (LSE/NYSE: GSK) today announced its sponsorship of Pretty Hurts, a gripping new Lifetime Original Movie and the latest extension of GSK’s Ask2BSure public health campaign. Premiering on June 28, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT, Pretty Hurts features a storyline that aims to raise awareness among parents about meningococcal disease, known as meningitis, an uncommon but serious illness that teens and young adults aged 16-23 are at an increased risk for.^1,2,3 GSK provided financial and content support for the film, which alerts moms that while many teens have received vaccination against meningitis serogroups A, C, W, and Y, many may be missing meningitis B vaccination.⁴

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250507580900/en/

The film follows Julie, played by actress Haylie Duff, a relatable mom juggling the demands of family life and a career, while navigating the challenges of parenting a teen in high school. After Julie’s daughter, Lauren, enters a beauty pageant to win scholarship money for college, meningitis suddenly strikes close to home, showcasing the impact of the disease on both their family and an entire community.

As the newest spokesperson for the larger Ask2BSure campaign, Alyson Hannigan, seasoned actress and mom to a 16-year-old, knows parenting teens is a job with no script. Hannigan was moved to join Ask2BSure after hearing the real stories of families impacted by meningitis. GSK honors the experiences of those families with this Lifetime movie.

Hannigan said: “As a mom, I know how hard it can be to stay on top of everything, especially when it comes to my teen’s health, and it is so important to ask the right questions about meningitis risk and vaccination. I’m proud to have joined the Ask2BSure campaign so that I can empower other parents to speak up and ask their teen’s doctor for more information.”⁴

Pretty Hurts builds off the 2023 GSK and Lifetime co-branded short film, “I Never Thought to Ask: A Mom's Quest for Answers,” which also brought awareness to meningitis B and vaccination.

Cynthia Burman, US Medical Affairs Lead for Neisseria Vaccines for GSK, said: “Working with Lifetime on this longer-form creative and educational film allows us to deliver impactful content to help empower parents in the US to start the conversation with their teen’s doctor to find out if their teen is missing any meningococcal vaccinations.”^4,5