FRANKFORT, KY – Attorney General Russell Coleman announced Wednesday, June 12, 2024 that Kentucky will receive its share of a $700 million nationwide settlement with Johnson & Johnson for its baby and body powder products. Over four years, the Commonwealth will receive $9,381,168.34—roughly $2.3 million each year.
For more than a century, Johnson & Johnson sold baby and body powder products that contained talc, a substance harmful to humans. Kentucky, along with 42 other states, began an investigation into Johnson & Johnson and found they deceptively promoted and misled consumers about the safety and purity of these products. As part of the settlement, Johnson & Johnson also agreed to stop the sale of talc products in the United States.
"Our Office works diligently to protect Kentucky families from potentially dangerous products," said Attorney General Coleman. "The Attorney General's Office of Consumer Protection helps Kentuckians rest assured when they go to the store, they find safe and reliable products for their family."
The settlement was handled by the Attorney General's Office of Consumer Protection, including by Assistant Attorney General Matthew Cocanougher, Division Chief Chris Lewis, Executive Director Philip Heleringer, and Deputy Executive Director Jon Farmer. The Office of Consumer Protection protects Kentucky's citizens from unfair, false, misleading, deceptive or anticompetitive acts or practices in trade or commerce. The Office's enforcement efforts protect not only Kentucky's citizens but also ethical vendors of goods and services.
Kentucky was joined by attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
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