Johnson & Johnson Offers $5.5 Billion Settlement for Baby Powder Lawsuits

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has been facing a decade-long legal battle and tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging that its baby ⁠powder and other talc products have caused ⁠ovarian cancer.

Now, the company has offered to pay $5.5 billion USD to settle the remaining lawsuits, covering over 76,000 claims in total. However, the settlement depends on at least 95% of the claimants agreeing to it. The company has also previously settled similar cases alleging that its talc contained asbestos and caused mesothelioma.

In 2020, J&J halted sales of talc-based baby powder in the US, and switched to a cornstarch product. Previously, the product was made with crushed talc, a naturally-occurring mineral usually found close to asbestos deposits. When mined, talc is likely to end up contaminated with asbestos.

While J&J has affirmed that their products do not contain asbestos, a lawsuit filed in 2025 by KP Law against J&J alleged that the company was aware as early as the 1960s that their talcum powder contained asbestos.

Asbestos refers to a group of naturally-occurring fibrous minerals that was previously widely used in insulation, piping, cement, roofing and flooring in the US, due to its ability to stop fires and reduce building fire risks. There are six types of asbestos, all of which are known to cause cancer.

Regulation on asbestos use in the US began in the early 1970s, when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) first classified it as hazardous. Following that, in 1986, federal law required EPA inspection and removal standards for asbestos. In 2002, asbestos mining was halted in the US. As the US government increased regulations on asbestos, use of the mineral has since declined, with manufacturers seeking safer alternatives.

When products containing asbestos are disturbed, tiny fibers of asbestos are released into the air. If these fibers enter the body, they can accumulate in the body, causing tissue inflammation and scarring, eventually leading to serious health issues. Asbestos exposure has been linked to causing mesotheliomas, lung cancer, larynx cancer and ovarian cancer.

As a powder, talc absorbs moisture well, and is useful as a cosmetic product to keep skin dry and prevent rashes. A National Health Institute study in 2024 found a link between using talc for intimate care and increased ovarian cancer risk.

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), talc that contains asbestos is carcinogenic to humans (Group 1), while talc that doesn’t contain asbestos is considered probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A).

Consumers concerned about the links between talcum powder and cancer may consider using alternative products, such as cornstarch-based powders.