Golden State Today

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a $700 million multistate settlement with Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to resolve claims that the company violated consumer protection laws by misrepresenting the safety of its talc-based products. The bipartisan coalition includes 42 state attorneys general.

The settlement addresses allegations that J&J failed to disclose the presence of asbestos in its talc products and the associated cancer risks. Subject to court approval, the agreement prohibits J&J from manufacturing, marketing, promoting, selling, or distributing talc-based products. J&J ceased selling these products in the United States and Canada in 2020.

“Johnson & Johnson knew that it could not ensure the safety of its products for women and children and chose to prioritize profit over honesty. It's unacceptable, and for the people who were harmed, it's devastating,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Today and every day, I take pride in serving the people of California and holding those who compromise consumer safety accountable.”

Since 1992, J&J sold over 600 million talc products nationwide, marketed primarily as baby powder for infants and genital hygiene products for women. Despite marketing these products as safe and pure, J&J was aware it could not guarantee they were free of asbestos.

Studies have suggested a possible association between using talc powders in the genital area and ovarian cancer incidence. Talc and asbestos are naturally occurring minerals often found together in nature. Asbestos contamination in talc is challenging to detect but poses significant health risks, including mesothelioma, fibrosis, lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, and other serious diseases.

Attorney General Bonta joins attorneys general from Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, 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 District of Columbia

Bonta remains committed to addressing unlawful business practices affecting consumers. In May alone he announced settlements with major U.S. wireless carriers ($10.25 million) for deceptive advertising practices and Liberty Tax for misleading advertisements about tax refund advances.

A copy of the proposed stipulated judgment will be made available upon court approval.