Talcum Powder Lawsuit
For over a century, Johnson & Johnson marketed talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower as gentle, safe products for daily use — including for feminine hygiene. Talc is mined from deposits that naturally occur alongside asbestos, a known human carcinogen. Internal documents produced in litigation suggest J&J knew as early as the 1970s that its talc sometimes tested positive for asbestos. In 2019 the FDA found asbestos in a sample of Johnson’s Baby Powder, prompting a recall, and J&J later withdrew talc-based baby powder from the market. In 2024, the WHO’s cancer research agency upgraded talc to “probably carcinogenic to humans.”
The Largest Mass Tort in America
Federal talc lawsuits are consolidated in MDL 2738 in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey before Judge Michael A. Shipp. With roughly 68,000 pending cases as of mid-2026, it is the largest active MDL in the federal system, and tens of thousands of additional claims have been filed in state courts. J&J attempted three times to move its talc liability into a subsidiary bankruptcy — the “Texas Two-Step” — and courts rejected the strategy each time, most recently in 2025. With the bankruptcy route closed, the litigation is moving again: a court-appointed mediator is overseeing settlement discussions, a special master’s January 2026 report cleared plaintiffs’ experts to testify that genital talc use is associated with ovarian cancer, and the first federal bellwether trial is on track for later in 2026.
Verdicts
Juries have returned billions of dollars in verdicts over the years, including a record $1.5 billion mesothelioma verdict in Baltimore in December 2025 and continuing ovarian cancer verdicts into 2026. Many verdicts are reduced or appealed, and past results do not predict any individual outcome — but they reflect how juries have responded to the evidence.
Injuries in the Talc Litigation
The federal MDL centers on ovarian cancer (including fallopian tube and related gynecologic cancers) following long-term genital talc use. Mesothelioma claims from asbestos-contaminated talc proceed largely in state courts.
Who May Qualify?
You may qualify for a free case review if you used Johnson’s Baby Powder or Shower to Shower regularly for feminine hygiene — typically for years — and were later diagnosed with ovarian cancer, or if you developed mesothelioma after long-term talc product use. Your diagnosis records and a history of product use are the core case elements. Deadlines vary by state and are running now.