More than 3,000 people in the United Kingdom have filed a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson (J&J), accusing the global healthcare giant of knowingly selling baby powder allegedly contaminated with asbestos and linked to cancer cases. The case was filed by KP Law in the High Court in London against Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue UK, which became a separate entity in 2023, reported The WP Times with reference to Sky News.
The claimants allege that between 1965 and 2023, they or their relatives developed ovarian cancer or mesothelioma after using Johnson’s Baby Powder. The lawsuit claims that the company’s product contained carcinogenic fibers, including asbestos, and that J&J concealed the associated risks for decades.
J&J discontinued its talc-based baby powder in the United States in 2020, replacing it with a cornstarch version, and did the same globally in 2023.
Kenvue stated that Johnson’s Baby Powder “did not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer,” adding that the product’s safety has been confirmed through independent testing by leading laboratories, universities, and health authorities in the UK and worldwide.
At the same time, Johnson & Johnson continues to face tens of thousands of similar lawsuits in the United States. Last week, an American court ordered the company to pay $966 million (£720 million) to the family of a woman who died from mesothelioma—one of the largest verdicts against J&J—though the amount may be reduced on appeal.
Damages awarded by UK courts are typically far smaller.
According to court documents, Michael Rawlinson KC, who represents the claimants, said that “there exist very few, if any, commercially mined talc deposits in the world that do not contain asbestos.” He alleged that J&J’s own research, mining reports, and scientific literature would have revealed the contamination risk. Despite this, J&J allegedly “suppressed information indicating contamination,” “lobbied regulators” to keep selling its product, and funded studies that “downplayed the dangers” to human health.
Among the claimants is Janet Fuschillo, 75, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer seven years ago. She said she had used J&J baby powder since the 1960s on herself and her children because “we were told it was pure and good for you.”
Another claimant, Patricia Angell, said her husband Edward died in 2006 at age 64 from mesothelioma after years of using the powder daily. His autopsy confirmed traces of talc and asbestos fibers.
According to the NHS, mesothelioma is almost always caused by asbestos exposure and typically develops in the lungs after inhaling microscopic fibers.
A Kenvue spokesperson stated, “We deeply sympathize with those living with cancer. We understand that patients and their families want answers — which is why facts matter. The safety of Johnson’s Baby Powder is supported by years of independent testing and compliance with all regulatory standards.”
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