Filenews 8 October 2025
According to a Reuters report, Johnson & Johnson was ordered on Monday by a court in Los Angeles to pay $966 million to the family of a woman who died of mesothelioma (a type of cancer attributed to asbestos fibers), finding the company liable that its baby powders containing talc products (a soft mineral) could cause cancer.
Reuters writes that the family of Mae Moore, a California resident who died at the age of 88 in 2021, sued the company in the same year, claiming that Johnson & Johnson's talcum powder products contained asbestos fibers that caused her rare cancer.
The company has stated that its products are safe, do not contain asbestos, and do not cause cancer. J&J stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the U.S. in 2020, turning to a cornstarch-based product.
But the company is facing lawsuits from more than 67.000 plaintiffs who claim they were diagnosed with cancer after using baby powder and other talc products, according to court documents, the agency points out.
The company had previously settled some of these claims out of court — with damages — but has not reached a national settlement, resulting in many mesothelioma lawsuits having been heard in state courts in recent months, culminating in Johnson & Johnson.
