AG Griffin reaches settlement with Johnson & Johnson; Arkansas to receive $12.7 million

Attorney General Tim Griffin on Tuesday (June 11) announced Arkansas will receive $12,716,700.92 as its share of a nationwide $700 million settlement with Johnson & Johnson over its marketing of talc-based baby powder and body powder products.

Johnson & Johnson was accused of misleading consumers about the potential harms of its talc powder products.

“This settlement arose from allegations that Johnson & Johnson deceptively promoted and misled consumers about the safety and purity of its talc-based powder products that had been sold by the company for over a hundred years,” Griffin said. “Johnson & Johnson has agreed to stop the manufacture and sale of talc-based baby powder and body powder products in the United States. I thank my office’s Consumer Protection Division for their diligence and effort as part the coalition of 42 states that came together to hold the company accountable.”

The multi-state lawsuit targeted the deceptive marketing of talc-based Johnson & Johnson products. After the coalition of states began investigating, the company stopped distributing and selling these products in the United States and more recently ended global sales.

Under the consent judgment, Johnson & Johnson:

• Has ceased and not resumed the manufacturing, marketing, promotion, sale, and distribution of all baby and body powder products and cosmetic powder products that contain talcum powder, including, but not limited to, Johnson’s Baby Powder and Johnson & Johnson’s Shower to Shower in the United States.
• Shall permanently stop the manufacture of any covered products in the United States either directly or indirectly through any third party.
• Shall permanently stop the marketing and promotion of any covered products in the United States either directly or indirectly through any third party.
• Shall permanently stop the sale or distribution of any covered products in the United States either directly or indirectly through any third party.

The consent judgment is pending judicial approval.