Investigative journalist Gardiner Harris has written a new book, "No More Tears: The Dark Secrets Of Johnson & Johnson." The book explores the company's long-standing image of trust built through products like baby powder, contrasted with evidence of unethical behavior and prioritizing profits over patient safety.
The timely release of the book corresponds with a Houston court’s decision on March 31, 2025 to reject J&J’s third attempt to force a settlement through bankruptcy. Both the book and the court decision reflect the changing public attitude against J&J for its longstanding history of disregarding the rights of those who have been injured by J&J’s products.
From February 18–28, 2025, lawyers, including Richard Golomb of Anapol Weiss, presented evidence and arguments during the trial regarding the proposed Red River bankruptcy plan. The Coalition of Counsel for Justice for Talc Claimants and the Office of the United States Trustee argued that J&J/Red River filed the bankruptcy in bad faith and that it should be dismissed. They correctly emphasized that bankruptcy courts are meant to assist the “honest but unfortunate debtor,” not to allow a solvent company such as J&J to settle mass tort cases on favorable terms while ignoring the rights of victims.
As described in Mr. Harris’ book, as well as during the recent bankruptcy trial, decades-old internal J&J documents clearly show that the company has been on notice of a scientific relationship between talc use and ovarian cancer. J&J has ignored the science and continued to claim its talc product is safe for use. During this time, thousands of women have died of ovarian cancer while J&J has gotten richer and richer. After years of public scrutiny through over a decade of litigation, J&J finally pulled its carcinogenic product, talc, off of the global market.
With the dismissal of the bankruptcy, plaintiffs’ claims can again move forward in courts around the country. The decision is a clear victory for fairness, the rule of law, and for all consumers who have been harmed by J&J’s products.
Our lawyers will now gear up for trial again after a more than three-year delay caused by three failed J&J bankruptcies. Richard Golomb, Of Counsel to Anapol Weiss, is counsel to more than 1600 women who have suffered ovarian cancer as a result of their genital use of Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder.