Attorney General William Tong, along with 42 other attorneys general, announced a $700 million nationwide settlement to resolve allegations related to the marketing of Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder and body powder products containing talc. Connecticut will receive $9,273,125.22 from this settlement, which is pending judicial approval.
“Johnson & Johnson marketed their talc baby and body powder as ‘safe’ and ‘pure’ when they knew their products were anything but. Millions of American consumers purchased and used their products for over a century, including some who may have developed ovarian cancer and mesothelioma as a result. As a result of our multistate investigation, Johnson & Johnson stopped selling these deadly products. Our settlement today holds the company accountable for decades of deceptive marketing and misconduct, and ensures they will never resume sale of unsafe talc powder again,” said Attorney General Tong.
"Consumers have trusted brands like Johnson & Johnson to take care of their families for decades because the products they sold were marketed as safe," said Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli. "Companies have a responsibility not only to ensure their products are safe but to market them accurately, and no company is exempt from that expectation."
The consent judgment filed in this lawsuit addresses allegations that Johnson & Johnson deceptively promoted and misled consumers in advertisements related to the safety and purity of some of its talc powder products. As part of the lawsuit, Johnson & Johnson has agreed to stop the manufacture and sale of its baby powder and body powder products that contain talc in the United States.
Johnson & Johnson sold such products for over a hundred years. After the coalition of states began investigating, the company stopped distributing and selling these products in the United States and more recently ended global sales. While this lawsuit targeted the deceptive marketing of these products, numerous other lawsuits filed by private plaintiffs in class actions raised allegations that talc causes serious health issues including mesothelioma and ovarian cancer.
Under the consent judgment, Johnson & Johnson:
- Has ceased and not resumed manufacturing, marketing, promotion, sale, or distribution of all baby and body powder products containing talcum powder in the United States.
- Shall permanently stop manufacturing any covered products in the United States either directly or indirectly through any third party.
- Shall permanently stop marketing or promoting any covered products in the United States either directly or indirectly through any third party.
- Shall permanently stop selling or distributing any covered products in the United States either directly or indirectly through any third party.
Texas, Florida, North Carolina led the multistate settlement effort with participation from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut (including Washington D.C.), Delaware Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New York North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Rhode Island South Dakota Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin joining.
Assistant Attorney General Brendan Flynn and Deputy Associate Attorney General Michael Wertheimer assisted Attorney General Tong on this matter.