Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue have agreed to pay approximately $5.5 billion to settle tens of thousands of US lawsuits alleging that their talc-based baby powder caused ovarian cancer — bringing to a close 15 years of litigation over one of the most contentious product liability cases in American history.
J&J has maintained throughout the litigation that its talc-based products do not cause cancer and that it marketed baby powder appropriately for more than a century. Erik Haas, the company’s vice president of litigation, described the underlying allegations as “meritless” but said settling was the right choice to resolve the matter permanently. “While we are confident the company would have ultimately prevailed with further litigation, as it has in the vast majority of cases tried to date, this resolution allows the company to put this matter behind it,” Haas said in a statement.
The settlement ends a legal saga that included three unsuccessful attempts by J&J to use bankruptcy proceedings to cap its exposure, before the company arrived at a negotiated resolution covering tens of thousands of plaintiffs. Johnson & Johnson discontinued its talc-based baby powder globally in 2023.
What the Lawsuits Were About
The litigation centred on allegations that talc-based products, including J&J’s iconic baby powder, were contaminated with asbestos — a recognised carcinogen linked to several forms of cancer. Talc is a naturally occurring mineral composed of magnesium, silicon, oxygen, and hydrogen, known for its soft texture and used in baby powder for decades. It is often extracted from rock formations located near asbestos deposits, which plaintiffs argued led to contamination.
J&J disputed contamination claims and denied that its products caused cancer. Nonetheless, courts repeatedly found against the company in individual trials. In October, a California jury ordered J&J to pay $966 million to the family of a woman who alleged decades of baby powder use had caused her cancer — the largest individual verdict in the litigation’s history.
The $5.5 billion settlement, described by the company as “an efficient conclusion,” covers the US cases against both J&J and Kenvue, its consumer healthcare spin-off. It does not constitute an admission of liability.
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Frequently Asked Questions
A: Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue have agreed to pay approximately $5.5 billion to settle tens of thousands of US lawsuits alleging their talc products caused ovarian cancer.
A: No. J&J maintains its products do not cause cancer and that the allegations are meritless. The settlement does not constitute an admission of liability.
A: The company said the settlement allows it to “put this matter behind it” and “remain focused on its mission to develop medicines and devices that save lives” after 15 years of litigation.
A: No. Johnson & Johnson discontinued its talc-based baby powder globally in 2023.
A: A California jury awarded $966 million to the family of a woman who alleged that decades of using J&J’s baby powder caused her cancer — the largest individual verdict in the case’s history.
