Thousands of individuals in the United Kingdom are pursuing legal action against the pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson, alleging that the firm knowingly sold baby powder containing asbestos-contaminated talc. Approximately 3,000 claimants, predominantly women, are seeking damages at the High Court in London, asserting that they or a family member developed severe forms of cancer, specifically ovarian cancer or mesothelioma, due to their use of Johnson's Baby Powder.

Lawyers representing the claimants, including those from KP Law, contend that Johnson & Johnson, along with its current and former subsidiaries Johnson & Johnson Management and Kenvue UK, should be held accountable. According to court documents filed, J&J is accused of "concealing" the risks to the public for decades. Michael Rawlinson KC, representing the group, stated in court filings that J&J "suppressed information that might indicate that baby powder was contaminated with asbestos," "lobbied regulators" to enable continued sales, and sponsored studies to "downplay the dangers" to human health. Rawlinson asserted that J&J "acted in bad faith, to protect the reputation and profit-making potential of baby powder and the goodwill attached to their name."

The core of the dispute revolves around talc, a naturally occurring mineral. Rawlinson highlighted that "very few, if any, commercially exploited talc deposits in the world which do not contain asbestos" exist, and that "all of the mines supplying the defendants contained asbestos." He suggested that reports from these mines, coupled with J&J’s own research and scientific literature, would have made the company aware of asbestos contamination.

Despite these allegations, Johnson & Johnson vehemently denies the claims. Kenvue, J&J’s former consumer health division spun off two years ago and now responsible for talc-related claims outside the US and Canada, maintains that the talc used in Johnson's Baby Powder complied with all required regulatory standards, did not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer. A spokesperson for Kenvue expressed deep sympathy for people living with cancer, emphasizing the importance of facts and stating that the safety of Johnson's Baby Powder is backed by years of testing by independent laboratories and health authorities.

Johnson & Johnson replaced talc with corn starch in its baby powder formulation, but it only ceased making and selling talc-based baby powder in the UK and globally in 2023. This change came three years after it had ended sales in the US and Canada.

The legal action includes powerful personal testimonies from individuals who believe their illnesses are linked to the product. Janet Fuschillo, 75, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer seven years ago, stated she had used J&J’s baby powder since the 1960s. She expressed "great concern and anger" about having used talc on herself and her four children for decades, believing it was pure and beneficial.

Patricia Angell shared the tragic story of her husband, Edward, who died in 2006 aged 64 from mesothelioma, a few weeks after diagnosis. Despite being an electrician familiar with asbestos, he had no occupational exposure. His autopsy report, however, mentioned talc and asbestos strains consistent with contaminated talc, which he used daily after showering. Angell lamented that her husband was "robbed" of 19 years of life and her children of a father.

Sue Rizzello, now 60, was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer in 2012. After genetic tests showed she did not carry the BRCA genes, she became convinced her cancer was caused by talc, which she had used throughout her life. Her experience included painful treatments and a challenging clinical trial. She is one of the 3,000 British claimants and advocates for other women who did not survive the disease, stating, "I’m totally convinced this was the cause of my own illness, and all the nightmare of treatment and trials that followed." Other individuals involved in the lawsuit include Sharon Doherty, 57, diagnosed with ovarian and fallopian tube cancer in 2020, as well as Linda Jones and Cassandra Wardle, also diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Mesothelioma, the form of cancer suffered by Edward Angell, is almost always caused by asbestos exposure, typically forming in the lungs after individuals inhale microscopic mineral fibres. Rawlinson explained that the method of applying baby powder—squeezing or shaking the bottle—meant that "clouds" of powder hung in the air for "a very long time after use" and were subsequently inhaled by users, further supporting the claimants' assertions of exposure.