Testimony on decades of concealment anchors trial win for two women with ovarian cancer

A Los Angeles Superior Court jury on Friday delivered a $40 million verdict against Johnson & Johnson.

The trial involved two women who developed ovarian cancer after decades of using the company's talc-based baby powder products. The award to plaintiffs Monica Kent and Deborah Schultz, and her husband, Dr. Albert Schultz, totals $40 million in compensatory damages.

The California trial is the first of 10 or more trials expected through the first half of 2026 involving ovarian cancer victims. After having trial settings delayed by Johnson & Johnson’s three serial bankruptcies, trial settings are again stacking up, affording women their long-overdue day in court. “Johnson & Johnson’s abuse of the system has added insult to injury for the thousands of women and their families who trusted its brands,” says Andy Birchfield of the Beasley Allen law firm, lead trial counsel for the plaintiffs.

The California verdict followed a four-week trial that featured testimony from former United States Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. David Kessler, who led the agency from 1990 to 1997 under two presidential administrations. He testified that J&J’s concealment of asbestos evidence spanned more than five decades. Referring to internal J&J documents dating back to the 1970s, Dr. Kessler testified that Johnson & Johnson knew Johnson’s Baby Powder contained asbestos and intentionally put public health at risk.

“These jurors heard and saw that Johnson & Johnson withheld crucial information, manipulated scientific research and misled regulators for decades,” said Mr. Birchfield. “These brave women trusted J&J with their health and safety, only to be betrayed by a company that knew about the dangers but kept the truth hidden.”

Jurors also heard testimony from leading medical experts, including a gynecologic oncologist, epidemiologist, and pathologist, about the scientific evidence supporting talc use as a key causation factor for the plaintiffs’ ovarian cancer. That testimony included the introduction of peer-reviewed studies demonstrating that frequent genital use of talc increases the risk of ovarian cancer by at least 50%, with consistent long-term use potentially doubling that risk.

“This verdict sends an unmistakable message that no amount of legal maneuvering or corporate intimidation will prevent juries from holding J&J accountable,” Leigh O’Dell, Co-Lead of the MDL Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, said. “The truth came out in this courtroom, and the scientific evidence accumulated over the years is powerful. We will not stop until every woman harmed by J&J’s talc products receives the justice she deserves.”

The verdict marks a milestone as the first plaintiffs’ verdict in a talc-ovarian cancer case since 2021; that year, Johnson & Johnson began the first of what became three unsuccessful attempts to force a settlement of ovarian cancer claims through bankruptcy, halting all scheduled trials on these claims. The California-coordinated proceedings have moved forward independently as Judge Theresa Traber selected six cases for bellwether trials to be tried in pairs, with the case of Kent and Schultz designated as the first.

Dan Robinson, who represents the Schultz family and also represents one of the plaintiffs in the next bellwether trial in the California-coordinated proceedings said, “It’s an honor to represent such courageous women willing to stand up against one of the most powerful corporations in the world that caused their injuries.”

Meanwhile, bellwether trials for the more than 70,000 claims filed in the federal multidistrict litigation in New Jersey are anticipated to begin next year, together with multiple bellwether trials in state courts in California, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

The case is Monica Kent v. Johnson & Johnson et al., Case No. 17CV318672, and Deborah Schultz et al. v. Johnson & Johnson et al., Case No. 20CV0476, in the Superior Court of the State of California in Los Angeles. Monica Kent is represented by Andy Birchfield of the Beasley Allen firm. Deborah and Albert Schultz are represented by Dan Robinson of Robinson Calcagnie, Inc. The cases were consolidated under the state’s JCCP No. 4872, Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Cases.

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“This verdict sends an unmistakable message that no amount of legal maneuvering or corporate intimidation will prevent juries from holding J&J accountable,” Leigh O’Dell, Co-Lead of the MDL Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, said.