What the product is and why it is in court
Johnson's Baby Powder was made for decades with talc, a soft mineral mined from the earth. Talc deposits can form close to asbestos, a known cause of cancer when inhaled, and lawsuits claim some of J&J's talc was contaminated with asbestos fibers.
In October 2019, J&J voluntarily recalled one batch of baby powder after an FDA test found asbestos in a sample. J&J stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the United States in 2020 and worldwide in 2023, switching to cornstarch. The company says its talc was safe, did not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer.
Who may be affected
The lawsuits mainly involve two groups. The first is women diagnosed with ovarian cancer who used the powder for years for personal hygiene in the genital area. The second is people diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare cancer that the lawsuits link to breathing asbestos-contaminated talc. Family members sometimes bring claims after a death.
The health questions
Ovarian cancer starts in the ovaries or nearby tissue. Studies of talc have reached mixed conclusions. The National Cancer Institute says studies of women who used talc on the genital area have not found clear evidence of an increased risk. In 2024 the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified talc as "probably carcinogenic to humans," meaning probably able to cause cancer in people, based in part on limited evidence in people.
Mesothelioma is different. It is strongly tied to asbestos, so those cases turn on whether a product contained asbestos and whether that exposure caused the illness. J&J disputes both.
Where things stand (as of October 2026)
J&J tried more than once to resolve the claims through a subsidiary's bankruptcy. Courts rejected those attempts, most recently in March 2025, and the lawsuits returned to the regular courts.
About 69,000 cases are gathered before a federal judge in New Jersey. In July 2026, J&J announced a proposed $5.5 billion settlement of existing ovarian cancer claims. It takes effect only if claimants holding at least 95 percent of the remaining claims sign on, it needs the judge's approval and it does not cover future cases. The sources checked did not report whether that threshold had been met by late October 2026.
Also in July 2026, the federal court ordered plaintiffs to explain why their cases should not be dismissed for lack of proof that talc caused each person's cancer. That order was not itself a dismissal. Mesothelioma claims are handled separately; J&J says it has settled about 95 percent of the filed mesothelioma lawsuits.
Deadlines and what to gather
Each state sets its own statute of limitations, the legal deadline to file a lawsuit. It often starts at diagnosis or when a person learned of a possible link, and the rules differ by state. A settlement program can also set its own sign-up dates.
- Medical records confirming the diagnosis, including pathology reports
- A history of how long and how often you used the powder, and where you bought it
- Any old containers, photos or receipts
- Your work history, if you were around other sources of asbestos
- Any settlement notices or letters you have received
Talking to a lawyer
A licensed attorney who handles talc or product injury cases can explain whether a claim is already pending for you, how the proposed settlement could affect it and which deadlines apply. Your state bar's lawyer referral service can help you find one.
Lawyers in these cases usually work on a contingency fee, a written agreement that the fee is a percentage of any recovery. Ask what the percentage is, how case costs are paid and how settlement money would be divided.
