Black Women’s Group Files Suit Against J&J Over Failure to Warn of Mesothelioma and Other Cancers
In addition to facing thousands of individual lawsuits, Johnson & Johnson has been accused by the National Council of Negro Women of failing to warn black women of the dangers of ovarian cancer or malignant mesothelioma posed by their talc products, despite making them a “central part” of their business strategy. The suit accuses the company of “knowingly deceptive marketing to Black women.”
Suit Cites Ovarian Cancer and Risk of Mesothelioma
Asbestos has been directly linked to malignant mesothelioma as well as other forms of cancer, and asbestos-contaminated talc is the central issue in the group’s lawsuit. The council’s executive director, Janice Mathis, indicated that many of its members used Johnson & Johnson’s power products after the company, “through its words and images, told Black women that we were offensive in our natural state and needed to use their products to stay fresh. Generations of Black women believed them and made it our daily practice to use their products in ways that put us at risk of cancer — and we taught our daughters to do the same. Shame on Johnson and Johnson.”
Though the company has denied asbestos contamination of its products and defended itself vigorously against mesothelioma and ovarian cancer claims, several plaintiffs have won significant jury verdicts. The council’s lawsuit indicates that a “large proportion” of its members used the products after the company targeted its marketing to black women, including a promotion that involved handing out 100,000 gift bags at churches and a radio campaign in the southern U.S. The company had even considered hiring either Aretha Franklin or Patti LaBelle as a spokesperson.
Black Women at Risk for Mesothelioma Face Additional Challenges
Malignant mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer that is always considered fatal. It requires state-of-the-art treatment, and the council points out that as a demographic black women are historically underinsured and less likely to be diagnosed early in the disease’s progression. Despite this, internal company memos cited in the council’s claim make specific reference to black women as representing “opportunities to grow the franchise” despite “negative publicity from the health community on talc.”
For its part, Johnson & Johnson has denied the claims that it singled out black women or put them at risk for malignant mesothelioma or ovarian cancer. A statement provided by the company said, “The accusations being made against our company are false, and the idea that our Company would purposefully and systematically target a community with bad intentions is unreasonable and absurd.”
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