Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay $700 million to settle with 42 states over allegations that it deceived consumers about the safety of its baby powder products.
The settlement, announced Tuesday, is the result of a multi-state investigation into the company’s marketing of talc-based baby powder and body powder products in the United States. The talc-based products have been linked to a number of serious health issues, including mesothelioma and ovarian cancer.
Johnson & Johnson has agreed to stop the manufacture and sale of its talc-based products in the United States and to permanently stop the marketing and promotion of any products containing talc. The company has also agreed to permanently stop the sale or distribution of any products containing talc.
The settlement is expected to deliver approximately $6.9 million to Rhode Island, the state’s attorney general announced Tuesday.
“As the state’s top consumer advocate, this Office is steadfast in our commitment to protecting consumers and holding corporations accountable for their actions,” Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said in a statement. “The nearly $7 million Rhode Island will receive in settlement proceeds is a direct consequence of Johnson & Johnson’s alleged misrepresentations of the safety of their product, serving as a stern reminder that deceptive practices and the neglect of consumer safety will be met with significant consequences in Rhode Island and across the country.”
The settlement with Johnson & Johnson is the latest in a series of settlements reached between the company and plaintiffs alleging its wrongful marketing of talc-based products.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
