June 11, 2024 (DENVER) – Attorney General Phil Weiser and 42 other attorneys general have reached a $700 million nationwide settlement to resolve allegations that Johnson & Johnson deceptively promoted and misled consumers in advertisements related to the safety and purity of some of its baby powder and body powder products containing talc.
As part of the settlement, the state of Colorado will receive a total of $14,383,390 paid over the next three years.
“For decades, Johnson & Johnson sold baby powder products with talc that was contaminated with asbestos and failed to warn consumers about the risk of cancer and other illnesses. The company also attempted to use bankruptcy courts to dodge responsibility for the misleading marketing of their baby powder products. Today’s settlement sends a message that we will fight to protect consumers and hold companies accountable for their deceptive and harmful conduct,” Weiser said.
Johnson & Johnson sold such products for over a hundred years. After the coalition of states began investigating in 2020, the company stopped distributing and selling these products in the United States and more recently ended global sales. While the states’ lawsuit alleged the company failed to warn consumers about the dangers of its talc products, numerous other lawsuits filed by private plaintiffs in class action lawsuits raised allegations that talc causes serious health issues including mesothelioma and ovarian cancer.
Under the consent judgment, Johnson & Johnson must permanently stop manufacturing, marketing, promoting, selling, and distributing all baby and body powder products as well as cosmetic powder products containing talcum powder. This includes but is not limited to Johnson’s Baby Powder and Johnson & Johnson’s Shower to Shower in the United States, either directly or indirectly through a third party. This settlement is pending court approval.
Others joining the settlement include attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Rhode Island South Dakota Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin.
For further details on this settlement:
Media Contact: Lawrence Pacheco
Chief Communications Officer
(720) 508-6553 office | (720) 245-4689 cell
lawrence.pacheco@coag.gov