Essex Mother's Talcum Powder Death Sparks £10bn Johnson & Johnson Lawsuit

British Families Unite in First Mass Legal Challenge Over J&J Cancer Claims

KP Law issued a letter before action to Johnson & Johnson in December 2024, representing 2,000 UK claimants who allege the company’s talcum powder caused cancer-related deaths and illnesses. The Wright family from Rayleigh, Essex, lost their mother, Maureen, to ovarian cancer in 1991, joining thousands seeking compensation from the pharmaceutical giant. J&J, which ended UK talc-based powder sales in 2023, denies any connection between its products and cancer while having set aside $10 billion for US settlements.

5 Key Points

• Wright family attributes the mother’s 1991 ovarian cancer death to daily talcum powder use.
• KP Law represents 2,000 claimants with 4,000 additional potential cases identified.
• J&J allocated $6 billion for US ovarian cancer cases and $4 billion for mesothelioma claims.
• The company discontinued global talc powder production in August 2022.
• Kenvue now handles all non-US talc liability following the 2023 J&J separation.

13-Year-Old Son’s Morning Discovery Leads to Three-Decade Quest for Answers

Richard Wright woke one morning in 1991 to find his mother, Maureen, had died in their family home. At age 13, he discovered her unresponsive in her bedroom and witnessed her final days when “she was coming back around, in and out of a state.” His youngest brother, Michael, who was only five years old, struggled to understand the loss. Now 46, Richard Wright points to his mother’s daily use of Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder as the cause of her ovarian cancer. The family joins 2,000 other UK claimants who say J&J knew about asbestos in their talc products but failed to warn consumers. “This is about justice for my mum and the bottom line is someone being held accountable,” Wright said. “We want an explanation, we want someone to hold their hands up and say that ‘we knew this was an issue.'”

‘The Taste and Smell of Talc’: A Husband’s Haunting Memories

Jeffrey Wright, 75, describes how talcum powder permeated their daily life before his wife’s death. “Talc had always been a feature in our home – Maureen would use it all over her body, and I vividly remember the taste and smell of it on my lips after kissing her,” he said. “She was only 17 years old when we met. I used to joke when she married me that I was punching above my weight.” The family maintains their connection to Maureen through regular visits to St Mary’s Church in Hornchurch, where they light candles on her birthday and death anniversary. Richard Wright, now raising his daughters, sees his mother’s features in his youngest child: “You get to an age where you have to repeat the loss, you have your children asking questions.”

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2,000 British Cancer Victims Join Forces as Legal Deadline Looms

KP Law issued its letter before action in December 2024, representing 2,000 people affected by J&J’s talcum powder products. The firm reports contact from 4,000 additional potential clients about claims. Tom Longstaff, partner at KP Law, emphasized the widespread impact: “All of the claimants, predominantly women but also some men, who have sustained cancer after using J&J’s talcum powder products have experienced a life-changing illness. In some cases, they have died from their cancer, leaving their families devastated. All of these innocent individuals deserve justice.” The firm gave J&J until the end of 2024 to respond before filing documents with the High Court.

Johnson & Johnson Claims ‘False Narrative’ While Setting Aside Billions

Erik Haas, worldwide vice president of litigation at Johnson & Johnson, defended the company’s position, stating they “take the issue of talc safety incredibly seriously and always have.” J&J claims to have won the “vast majority” of US trials or succeeded on appeal. Haas pointed to the company’s testing methods: “We have relied upon the most state-of-the-art testing protocols for decades and have been entirely transparent with government institutions and academic researchers regarding our findings.” He pushed back against claims of product safety issues, saying lawyers of plaintiffs in the US “actively push a false narrative about the history of talc and its alleged contamination to media globally,” which he says “defies logic, rewrites history, and ignores the facts.” Despite these defenses, J&J discontinued global production of talc-based powder in August 2022, transitioning to corn-starch-based products, and ended UK sales in 2023.

Kenvue Split Adds New Hurdle for British Cancer Claimants

J&J’s 2023 separation created Kenvue, which now handles talc liability claims outside the US and Canada. The pharmaceutical company has set aside more than $6 billion to settle ovarian cancer cases in the US, with an additional $4 billion for mesothelioma cases. While J&J maintains its products’ safety, lawyers at KP Law argue the company knew for decades about asbestos in its talcum powder but failed to act. The products remained on UK shelves until 2022. The Wright family emphasized the human cost behind these corporate decisions. “My mum’s whole life could have been different,” Richard Wright said. “A lot of people think that if you lose your mum 30 years ago, you get over it – but you never get over it.”