Ovarian cancer is rare, accounting for just 1.3% of new cancer cases in the U.S. However, Johnson & Johnson, a pharmaceutical company worth an estimated $70 billion, is paying millions of dollars in damages to plaintiffs across the country that allege the company’s talcum powder and bathing products caused their ovarian cancer.
In February 2016, a family from Alabama was awarded $72 million after successfully bringing their case against Johnson & Johnson to trial in St. Louis. A few months later, Johnson & Johnson lost another $55 million lawsuit to a South Dakota woman who blamed the company for her ovarian cancer.
A Louisiana woman recently came forward with similar claims. Shintelle Joseph says she’s been using the product for 10 years and was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
According to The American Cancer Society, talc is listed as a risk factor, but not explicitly, or without reservation. There are many contradictory studies regarding the regular use of talc, the best of which doesn’t make any certain claim one way or the other, and therein, lies the problem.
Since the mid‑2010s, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has faced thousands of lawsuits alleging that its
talc products caused ovarian cancer. In September 2024, J&J’s subsidiary Red River Talc LLC
filed a prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy to resolve these claims. The plan—supported by
83% of claimants—would add $1.75 billion to the settlement fund, bringing the total to about $8
billion (≈ $10 billion over 25 years). J&J estimates this will resolve 99.75% of talc lawsuits in the
U.S.
For victims, this settlement provides a clearer path to compensation without prolonged litigation.
However, accepting a bankruptcy plan also means relinquishing the right to pursue individual
claims in civil court. Anyone who may have been exposed to talc products should consult a
lawyer promptly to understand their options.
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