2024 Talcum Powder Lawsuit Update & Latest News

Baby products containing talc made by manufacturers such as Johnson & Johnson have been linked with:

• Ovarian cancer
• Endometrioid ovarian cancer
• Mesothelioma

Talcum powder lawsuits allege that the manufacturers of products containing talc knew or should have known that the products contained asbestos and thus could cause cancer, yet failed to warn about the danger inherent in the products. Call us today for a free consultation if you or a loved one developed one of the above cancers after using products containing talc. You might be eligible for financial compensation in a talc lawsuit. We don’t charge a fee to represent clients until and unless we obtain financial compensation for them.

2024 Talcum Powder Lawsuit Updates

• October 30, 2024 Update: The United States Department of Justice is opposed to Johnson & Johnson’s recent bankruptcy filing. The filing is an attempt to resolve its talc litigation via a controversial maneuver called the “Texas Two-Step.” The company is facing around 62,000 lawsuits alleging that women developed ovarian cancer due to using the company’s talc products on their genital area. The company, last month, created Red River Talc, LLC, a subsidiary. The subsidiary then filed for bankruptcy in Texas. This filing made the subsidiary liable for Johnson & Johnson’s failing to warn others about the link between its talc products and ovarian cancer. This maneuver is called the Texas Two Step and artificially caps financial damages to parent companies. It can lead to plaintiffs recovering a fraction of what they’re actually owed. Legal experts and judges have heavily criticized the tactic, and the Justice Department has just joined them. This is the third attempt by the company to resolve its talc liability via bankruptcy. The first two attempts were thrown out by federal judges who found that no real financial distress was endured by the company. The Department of Justice admonished the company, calling this bankruptcy filing “an apparent effort to evade the bad faith findings entered in the previous cases.” The department referred to the company’s tactics as “a textbook example of bad faith,” stating that the company “has no need for bankruptcy relief” and that there “is no legitimate purpose in allowing” the company “to remain in bankruptcy while it pursues a futile strategy.”
• September 25, 2024 Update: In an attempt to settle talc ovarian cancer lawsuits via a controversial maneuver involving bankruptcy, Johnson & Johnson transferred all of its talc litigation liability to a new subsidiary. That subsidiary has now filed for bankruptcy. This will probably delay trials which are expected to start in the near future. The company has announced that company subsidiary Red River Talc LLC filed for bankruptcy following the subsidiary being assigned liability for around 62,000 lawsuits alleging that Johnson & Johnson’s talc products caused women to develop ovarian cancer. This is the company’s third try at resolving this litigation through a tactic called a Texas Two Step. This tactic has been criticized by many as abusing the country’s bankruptcy system. The company’s two previous attempts were rejected by judges who ruled the company faced no financial hardship. This new bankruptcy filing proposes an $8 billion settlement.
• September 19, 2024 Update: The judge overseeing the talc MDL rejected a request that two cases be presented during the initial federal trial. This indicates that the plaintiffs will need to choose a single claim which a jury will see in December 2024. Johnson & Johnson is currently facing over 62,000 lawsuits alleging that their talc products caused women to develop malignancies like ovarian cancer. The judge who had previously presided over the MDL had decided not to allow consolidated cases as bellwether trials and the current judge saw no reason to disregard that decision by the previous judge. The plaintiffs now have until September 24 to choose a single claim to be presented during the first bellwether trial.
• September 10, 2024 Update: Johnson & Johnson has raised its settlement offer regarding talc ovarian cancer litigation by over $1 billion. The company is now offering around $9 billion, to be paid out over 25 years, in an attempt to convince plaintiffs to accept resolution of talc litigation through bankruptcy. The company is facing over 62,000 lawsuits claiming that the company’s talc products led to cancers such as ovarian cancer. The lawsuits allege that the company withheld information regarding asbestos in its talc products for decades. The company has attempted to file bankruptcy to resolve the litigation twice in the past, with both attempts failing due to judges finding that the company does not face financial distress.
• September 5, 2024 Update: August saw 155 cases added to the Talc MDL. This brought the total number of pending cases to 57,937.
• August 19, 2024 Update: It’s difficult to believe that Johnson & Johnson is still allowing some mesothelioma lawsuits end up in trial instead of just settling them all. A jury in South Carolina has awarded in excess of $63 million to a cancer patient who ended up developing mesothelioma, a terminal form of lung cancer, due to inhaling asbestos found in the company’s talcum powder. The verdict ended up finding J&J as well as American International Industries negligent, finding that their products caused the plaintiff’s cancer. American International Industries was found to have committed fraudulent misrepresentation, with the jury finding their actions were reckless, wanton or willful. The plaintiff was awarded $23 million in economic damages and other damages, and his spouse was awarded in excess of $9.6 million regarding loss of consortium. In addition, $30 million in punitive damages against J&J was awarded, and $760,000 in punitive damages against American International Industries was awarded.
• August 14, 2024 Update: Over three quarters of eligible claimants who are pursuing talc lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson ended up voting to support a $6.5 billion settlement offer. This might let J&J resolve the talc litigation through bankruptcy court. Bloomberg News reported the secret poll results on Monday. This does not, however, mean the settlement has been finalized, since it continues facing fierce opposition and it will probably be tied up by legal challenges for the foreseeable future. The plan for settlement is the company’s third try at forcing talc litigation to be settled through bankruptcy court – two prior attempts to transfer liability for talc litigation to a subsidiary then file for bankruptcy have failed, with courts finding the litigation did not cause J&J to face real financial distress. If the settlement is approved, J&J would pay $6.5 billion over a period of 25 years in order to resolve future and current talc lawsuits. It has been indicated by the company that 95 percent of talc claims regarding mesothelioma have already been resolved, with the remaining claims primarily claims of gynecological cancer – primarily involving ovarian cancer.
• July 26, 2024 Update: The 3rd Circuit has upheld a dismissal order which states that Johnson & Johnson subsidiary LTL Management, which was created to absorb J&J’s talc liability, is not financially distressed, finding that the company’s bankruptcy filing wasn’t filed in good faith. The court ruled that potential regarding future insolvency is not justification for filing Chapter 11. J&J indicates it wishes to appeal this to the Supreme Court.
• July 23, 2024 Update: While Johnson & Johnson is continuing to face thousands and thousands of lawsuits alleging its talc products increased users’ risks of cancer due to containing asbestos, the company is also facing liability claims filed by its former talc suppliers which indicate the suppliers went out of business due to the company’s actions. Cyprus Mines Corporation and Imerys Talc have filed for bankruptcy due to talc litigation, and have filed lawsuits against the company, alleging Johnson & Johnson should be held liable for costs they incurred in talc lawsuits which were filed against them. On July 13, a $505 million settlement was announced, calling for Johnson & Johnson to pay the two suppliers $225 million initially, followed by another $280 million which will be paid by Johnson & Johnson’s insurance policies – this money will then end up in a settlement trust in order to pay for personal injury claims which are filed against the talc suppliers. The settlement must be evaluated by a federal judge before being approved.
• July 9, 2024 Update: A World Health Organization assessment has concluded that exposure to talc probably leads to a higher risk of developing cancer, especially ovarian cancer, even when the talc is not contaminated by asbestos. Researchers determined that enough evidence exists now regarding animal and human studies, in addition to how the body interacts with talc, to come to the conclusion that talc probably causes cancer. The WHO has given talc a Group 2A classification, the second highest level of classification regarding substances which may cause cancer. The researchers cited “strong mechanistic evidence” that the substance exhibits important characteristics of cancer-causing agents in experimental systems and human cells. The researchers cited numerous studies which “consistently” demonstrated a higher incidence of ovarian cancer in people who self-reported using talc in their perineal region. The assessment comes mere months after researchers discovered that talc use in the genital region was linked with a 17 percent higher risk of developing ovarian cancer.
• July 2, 2024 Update: The judge presiding over the talc MDL rejected a request by plaintiffs’ lawyers seeking a temporary restraining order in order to prevent Johnson & Johnson from filing for bankruptcy for a third time in order to delay the talc litigation. The company has tried twice, unsuccessfully, to transfer its liability in the talc litigation to a subsidiary and then have that subsidiary file for bankruptcy, with federal judges rejecting both efforts, stating that the company did not face financial distress and possesses sufficient assets in order to settle litigation. The judge ruled that his court lacked the jurisdiction to file the restraining order because since the third bankruptcy filing has not taken place yet, the plaintiffs have not yet suffered any injury-in-fact which would establish standing.
• June 23, 2024 Update: A class action lawsuit is attempting to get Johnson & Johnson to end up paying for medical monitoring for women who used the company’s talcum powder products near their genitals for the purpose of feminine hygiene, unaware the products contained asbestos and therefore were increasing their risk of developing future cancer. Plaintiffs in this lawsuit have not been diagnosed with any cancer, but claim they live fearing cancer diagnoses due to having used the company’s talc products. The lawsuit claims the company knew for decades that its talc products could cause cancer but failed to warn consumers or take action.
• June 10, 2024 Update: A new talc trial is underway in Texas. Opening statements ended up being presented last week and it’s expected the trial will take around two to three weeks to reach completion. The trial is the first new talcum powder trial in quite a while and the first seen in Texas. In other news, the talc MDL now has 57,365 cases which are pending. That total is 4,000 more than the amount of cases as of April 1. The MDL is seemingly heating up quietly again as far as case volume is concerned.
• June 5, 2024 Update: Johnson & Johnson has been ordered by a Portland, Oregon jury to pay $260 million in a case involving a woman who filed a lawsuit alleging that the company’s talcum powder caused her to develop mesothelioma because it was contaminated with asbestos. Mesothelioma is a rare, deadly and incurable form of cancer which is only known to be caused by exposure to asbestos. The lawsuit alleges Johnson & Johnson should have warned consumers about the presence of asbestos in its products. The verdict includes $60 million worth of compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages, intended to punish J&J for recklessly disregarding the safety of consumers. The verdict comes a little more than one month after a Florida court awarded a family $45 million over a wrongful mesothelioma death.
• May 30, 2024 Update: A mining company has been ordered by a Connecticut jury to pay $15 million over the wrongful death of a man who was exposed to asbestos in talc and eventually died from mesothelioma. The claim stems from his exposure to asbestos in raw talc while working in a General Electric plant. The jury also found that the Vanderbilt Minerals LLC’s operation involved reckless indifference, determining the company will need to pay punitive damages, the amount of which will be determined later. Vanderbilt lost another verdict in 2023 of $20 million regarding a different mesothelioma death.
• May 21, 2024 Update: A new study found that use of talcum powder around the genitals is linked with a 17 percent increase in ovarian cancer risk. The study involved 50,884 women with a sister who had breast cancer. The researchers’ findings add to a growing body of evidence that use of talcum powder around the genitals is linked with ovarian cancer. A 2019 study found talc in tissue from nine out of ten patients with ovarian cancer who used talc products by Johnson & Johnson, and another study from the same year linked talcum powder use with a nine percent increase in ovarian cancer risk. Thousands of lawsuits allege that Johnson & Johnson’s talc products contained asbestos and caused plaintiffs to develop cancers including ovarian cancers.
• May 6, 2024 Update: A $6.5 billion offer for settlement of talc cases has been announced by Johnson & Johnson. The offer seeks to resolve tens of thousands of ovarian cancer claims via a bankruptcy filing. The company is facing around 54,000 lawsuits alleging its talcum powder products caused ovarian cancer, mesothelioma and additional injuries because they had asbestos in them. Under the plan, Johnson & Johnson would pay $6.475 billion in order to settle every current and future claim brought on behalf of women who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The money in the settlement would be paid over a period of 25 years and the plan was partly developed by lawyers representing ovarian cancer claim plaintiffs. However, similar claims were made by Johnson & Johnson when they previously attempted to settle claims through a bankruptcy settlement which was eventually challenged aggressively by plaintiffs seeking individual trials.
• April 30, 2024 Update: Attorneys are requesting that the judge overseeing the talc MDL reconsider the recent decision that a second group of hearings be held regarding expert testimony’s admissibility, which had been previously decided several years ago, prior to Johnson & Johnson engaging in a failure of a bankruptcy attempt which delayed progress regarding the litigation. The company faces around 54,000 lawsuits alleging that users of its talcum powder products weren’t warned adequately regarding the risk of developing mesothelioma, ovarian cancer and additional injuries. Plaintiffs’ lawyers are claiming that the decision to hold a second group of hearings isn’t supported by the record which is before the court, and that the decision “is in clear error.” Plaintiffs’ lawyers are arguing that previously decided issues shouldn’t have to be re-litigated simply since time has passed, and that no sound basis exists to fully refile Daubert motions because the original Daubert opinion was never appealed by any party.
• April 23, 2024 Update: A court has ordered Johnson & Johnson, as well as Kenvue Inc., its spinoff, to pay out $45 million in a talc verdict. The money will be paid to the family of an Illinois woman whose death was due to mesothelioma, which a lawsuit alleged was caused by her exposure to asbestos in the companies’ baby powder products. Chicago jurors found that Kenvue was 70 percent responsible for the woman’s death and that J&J was 30 percent responsible. The lawsuit alleged that the companies were aware their products had asbestos in them but failed to warn the public about it.
• April 16, 2024 Update: The FDA has released the results of its testing it did on talc-based cosmetics in 2023. The agency sampled at least 50 products in 2023, finding asbestos in none of the products. The testing comes after asbestos was found in Johnson’s Baby Powder several years ago.
• April 9, 2024 Update: A wrongful death lawsuit filed in Florida alleges that a woman died from ovarian cancer after using Johnson & Johnson baby powder for a period of decades. This marks the second ovarian cancer trial post-bankruptcy. The first trial ended up with a deadlocked jury.
• March 31, 2024 Update: The judge overseeing the talc MDL will allow Johnson & Johnson to refile Daubert challenges regarding how admissible the testimony of expert witnesses is. The testimony relates to talc, as well as asbestos particles found in talc, causing an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. The company will be allowed to re-argue the challenges despite a ruling almost five years ago which allowed these experts to present testimony. Plaintiffs argued that by requesting this opportunity, Johnson & Johnson was employing delay tactics, noting that numerous plaintiffs have already died waiting for a day in court, and that more plaintiffs will probably die waiting as well. However, the judge ruled that it’s appropriate to allow the company to re-argue their Daubert challenges because of emerging science and changes regarding federal evidence rules.
• March 15, 2024 Update: A lawsuit has been filed by a Massachusetts woman against over 30 companies, including Johnson & Johnson, Mary Kay, Clinique and L’Oreal, alleging the companies sold talc products containing asbestos, and that these products directly caused her to develop mesothelioma, a rare, deadly cancer with no cure. The lawsuit alleges that the companies knew that a risk of exposure to asbestos was connected with talcum powder, yet marketed and sold talcum powder products to consumers without warning them about this risk.
• March 8, 2024 Update: Around 60 cases have been added to the talc MDL since January 1.
• February 16, 2024 update: A trial judge has ruled that old J&J baby powder advertisements are relative in terms of determining punitive damages. In addition, in a surprising development, J&J has allowed a case to proceed to trial which alleges that the company’s baby powder caused the death of an anesthesiologist who had used the product every day for over 50 years, and that it caused his death because it contained asbestos. This development is surprising because it is assumed that J&J desperately wants to settle asbestos cases, because another huge verdict would significant drive the settlement value up of all talcum powder cases – asbestos cases included.
• January 23, 2024 update: Johnson & Johnson has proposed a $6.9 billion settlement regarding over 50,000 claims that its talc products caused ovarian cancer. This figure means that the average settlement under the proposal would be valued at about $130,000. Johnson & Johnson had earlier proposed an $8.9 billion global talc settlement, but that earlier settlement offer had included mesothelioma cases as well, which the company is now handling separately.
• January 19, 2024 update: The total of talc cases now in the talc MDL is 53,733 cases.
• January 11, 2024 update: Johnson & Johnson has reached a $700 million settlement resolving claims which dozens of states brought over allegedly deceptive marketing by the company. The settlement is the result of a joint investigation which at least 41 different states initiated in order to examine if the company’s talcum powder product marketing was honest. Lawsuits have alleged that the company knew that its talcum powder products were contaminated with asbestos but failed to warn about it.
• January 3, 2024 update: A class action lawsuit has been filed by investors in Johnson & Johnson which echoes claims made by wrongful death and personal injury plaintiffs in another class action lawsuit filed against the company. The lawsuit has been certified by a New Jersey federal judge. The class action lawsuit alleges that the company made statements about research and product safety which were misleading. The investors allege that while Johnson & Johnson publicly boasted about how safe its talc products were, it internally knew about concerns that an external laboratory raised regarding its testing methods regarding asbestos detection in its talc products being inadequate.
• December 21, 2023 update: Johnson & Johnson has filed a motion alleging that a law firm representing plaintiffs in talc litigation formed a relationship which was inappropriate with a former lawyer who worked with Johnson & Johnson. The company alleges the law firm used confidential information to their advantage, and that the former lawyer collaborated with the firm in an unethical manner. The law firm responded on December 21, 2023, denying that they had acquired privileged info and arguing that the motion was Johnson & Johnson simply trying to distract from its failures in addressing claims that their talc products injured users.
• December 18, 2023 update: Almost 400 talc cases were added to the talc MDL in the month prior to December 18, 2023, bringing the total number of cases to 53,729.
• December 6, 2023 update: Johnson & Johnson has reportedly told its investors that they are close to coming to a global settlement agreement to resolve all mesothelioma-related talcum powder lawsuits which involve claims that asbestos in the company’s talc-based products caused users to develop the deadly cancer. The company has come to tentative settlement agreements in about 100 of these cases, according to Bloomberg News.
• November 16, 2023 update: Reuters reported on November 16 that Johnson & Johnson has settled two lawsuits brought by plaintiffs who claimed that asbestos in the company’s talc powder products caused them to develop mesothelioma. Settlement terms were not disclosed by plaintiffs’ lawyers. Johnson & Johnson faces over 50,000 talc lawsuits, the majority of which have been filed by women who developed ovarian cancer.
• November 7, 2023 update: Rumblings are coming from Johnson & Johnson regarding a possible third attempt to have its subsidiary LTL Management file for bankruptcy in order to avoid financial liability over talc litigation. Johnson & Johnson failed twice to file bankruptcy in New Jersey, with the courts in New Jersey ruling that LTL was not in immediate financial distress and could therefore not file for bankruptcy in good faith. Johnson & Johnson is considering having LTL file for bankruptcy in Texas, thinking that Texas courts may be more favorable to them. This probably will not work and will probably lead to Johnson & Johnson wasting money.
• November 1, 2023 update: In an October news conference, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn) attacked Johnson & Johnson regarding its role of spreading cancer through its talc products, criticizing the company’s “Texas two-step” legal maneuvering which was intended to avoid financial liability over its asbestos-containing talc products causing cancer. The Senator explained how the company transferred its talc liabilities to a subsidiary, which subsequently declared for bankruptcy to try to dodge liability. “Both Republicans and Democrats recognize that this situation demands action, potentially in the form of new legislation,” the Senator said about the legal maneuver.
• October 20, 2023 update: Following a long delay in the talc litigation resulting from two failed bankruptcy filings by Johnson & Johnson, things in the litigation are moving along again. The judge who presides over the talc MDL has released a pretrial schedule, updating deadlines for six bellwether trials. The new pretrial schedule involves expert witness depositions reaching completion by January 22, 2024, defense expert witness depositions reaching completion by April 15, 2024 and Daubert and dispositive motions being completed by May 6.
• October 4, 2023 update: Since a stay on talc litigation was lifted by a judge a bit over a month ago, over 11,000 new talc lawsuits have been filed alleging that Johnson & Johnson, as well as its subsidiaries, failed to warn that its talcum powder products could cause cancer. There are now over 70,000 lawsuits involving similar allegations that particles of absestos in the talcum powder products led to users developing mesothelioma, ovarian cancer and more. Users of the products had been prevented from filing lawsuits for over two years when Johnson & Johnson transferred its liability into a subsidiary which immediately filed for bankruptcy, but that filing was dismissed by a judge this year, allowing new talc lawsuits to be filed.
• September 19, 2023 update: United States Senators have delivered bipartisan condemnation of Johnson & Johnson’s attempt to avoid financial liability for its talc products allegedly causing cancer by shifting liability to a shell company then having the shell company file for bankruptcy. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) noted that Johnson & Johnson’s market capitalization was $420 billion when its subsidiary declared bankruptcy in 2021, yet offered only $8.9 billion in order to settle talc lawsuits. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) stated that Johnson & Johnson is attempting to “distort” bankruptcy code in order to avoid liability in talc lawsuits.
• September 8, 2023 update: On September 8, 2023, plaintiffs in the talc MDL objected to the appointment of retired judge Freda L. Wolfson for addressing Daubert-related motions and disputes. The plaintiffs contend it is inappropriate for Wolfson to address these motions and disputes because she is now a partner at the law firm Lowenstein Sandler, which represents Johnson & Johnson in a bankruptcy matter related to talc litigation.
• August 23, 2023 update: On August 23, 2023, plaintiffs in the Talc MDL wrote a letter to the court opposing Johnson & Johnson’s attempt to delay litigation by rearguing Daubert motions which had been already ruled upon years ago.
• August 11, 2023 update: On August 11, 2023, a second attempt at bankruptcy by Johnson & Johnson subsidiary LTL Management was dismissed by the court. However, plaintiffs had also requested a 180 day ban on future bankruptcy claims by J&J, and U.S. Bankruptcy Court Chief Judge Michael Kaplan refused to impose this ban. The ban was requested by plaintiffs to avoid setbacks which might jeopardize settlements in talc claims.
• July 28, 2023 update: On July 28, 2023, a United States bankruptcy judge, Michael Kaplan, rejected the second bankruptcy filing by Johnson & Johnson subsidiary LTL Management, LLC. The judge determined the filing was “filed in bad faith.” The judge determined that LTL Management doesn’t face immediate or imminent financial distress. The judge determined the subsidiary possesses sufficient financial resources to resolve talc litigation in a fair manner without having to restrict plaintiffs’ compensation by filing for bankruptcy. The judge noted that LTL Management has a “funding backstop” provided via contract by Johnson & Johnson, which has equity interests, expected annual dividends and cash holdings with a value that approaches $30 billion.
• July 18, 2023 update: On July 18, 2023, a California jury ruled that Johnson & Johnson must pay a California man $18.8 million. The man had filed a lawsuit claiming he developed mesothelioma after being exposed to the company’s talc products.
• June 1, 2023 update: Johnson and Johnson’s second attempt at bankruptcy has been opposed by a United States Trustee’s office. A motion was filed to dismiss J&J’s Chapter 11 case. Andrew Vara, the trustee, noted that the “bankruptcy petition appears to reflect a mistaken belief that the best cure for bad faith is more bad faith.” Vara accused J&J of engaging in transactions which J&J subsidiary LTL admitted were designed for the purpose of creating fake financial distress. Vara alleges that the bankruptcy case is an attempt by J&J to “discharge tort obligations at cents on the dollar.”
• May 31, 2023 update: On May 31, 2023, Johnson & Johnson began the first talcum powder trial it has gone through since the bankruptcy and spinoff of its talc subsidiary. The trial sees a patient with terminal mesothelioma alleging that the company ignored or minimized data which indicated that its talc was contaminated with asbestos.
• May 1, 2023 update: In April 2023, Judge Michael Kaplan placed a 60 day freeze on talc trials. However, under the injunction, new lawsuits can still be filed and discovery can still be conducted by plaintiffs.
• May 1, 2023 update: Johnson & Johnson, in April 2023, announced that it had agreed to pay out $8.9 billion in order to resolve any and all lawsuits alleging that its talc-containing products caused cancer. Included in the $8.9 billion is $400 for ending claims by states that its talc marketing was deceptive. However, at Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers, we do not feel that this is an adequate settlement. While $8.9 billion seems like a ton of money, Johnson & Johnson is attempting to cover all current and future victims of ovarian cancer and mesothelioma with this settlement, as well as any attorney general action in any state and any other claim related to talc, such as claims against the company filed by insurance companies. This settlement would pay less than $120,000 per case, if not less, and most victims of ovarian cancer see their medical costs alone cost as much as $500,000.
• March 1, 2023 update: In February 2023, a bankruptcy judge allowed a talcum powder lawsuit to proceed in California. The lawsuit alleges that talcum powder caused a man to develop terminal cancer. The lawsuit was cleared to proceed after a long bankruptcy stay which stopped litigation from moving ahead.
• April 1, 2022 update: In March 2022, a federal appeals court rejected an attempt by Johnson & Johnson to use chapter 11 bankruptcy to avoid liability in talc lawsuits.
• November 1, 2021 update: In October 2021, Johnson & Johnson faced over 40,000 lawsuits regarding its talcum powder-based products. It announced that it would explore Chapter 11 bankruptcy to dispose of some of these cases.
• September 1, 2021 update: In August 2021, Johnson & Johnson sought to separate its business accounts from its talc-related liabilities, having been overwhelmed with the growing number of lawsuits.
• August 1, 2021 update: In July 2021, the National Council of Negro Women filed a suit against Johnson & Johnson, claiming that its marketing targeted black women more than other demographics.
• March 1, 2021 update: In February 2021, the accused company, faced with over 25,000 lawsuits, reported to the Securities and Exchange Commission that they set aside roughly $4 billion for litigation expenses. Despite this move, Johnson & Johnson still chose to defend the safety of its products.
• November 1, 2020 update: In October 2020, Johnson & Johnson made headlines with settlement agreements ($100 million to resolve 1,000 cases). At the time, the company maintained the safety of their products, confident that they don’t contain asbestos and don’t cause cancer.
• June 1, 2020 update: In May 2020, Johnson & Johnson voluntarily ceased the sale of talcum powder-based products in the US and Canada. The company cited reasons such as changes in consumer habits, the constant barrage of litigation advertising, and misinformation around the product’s safety.