‘I got cancer after using Johnson & Johnson talcum powder – now I’m suing them’

A cancer patient who was left jobless and ‘seriously contemplated suicide’ is suing Johnson & Johnson, claiming its product is linked to her illness.

Julie Whytock, 64, from Hertfordshire, says she developed ovarian cancer after using Johnson & Johnson (J&J) talc powder ‘at least once a day’ as a young child.

After her diagnosis with stage three ovarian cancer last year, Ms Whytock told Metro she was pushed to the brink and contemplated taking her own life after spending 26 weeks in hospital, where she underwent chemotherapy.

‘I seriously was contemplating suicide. Every time a doctor talked to me, they’d say it was a long-term healing process. I couldn’t stand being in hospital anymore,’ she said.

‘I’ve got three sons and if it wasn’t for them, I don’t think I would’ve gotten out of hospital.’

More than 2,000 people have joined a legal case against J&J, claiming they developed a range of cancers after being exposed to asbestos contained in the company’s talcum powder.

KP Law, the legal firm overseeing the case, says that more than 100,000 could have been diagnosed with different forms of cancer after using the product.

J&J has denied that its talc powder contained asbestos, adding it ‘takes the issue of talc safety incredibly seriously and always has’.

Ms Whytock says J&J’s talc powder has ‘always been a fundamental part of the hygiene routine in my family’ and that she used it with her own children as well.

‘When I was young, I used it when I went swimming, after a bath, when I had a bit of chapping. At least once a day, I’d say.

‘My mum always used it. It feels cosy. The smell brings back lovely memories.’

She has since left her job as a Quality Assurance Manager at an apprenticeship company after her diagnosis last March.

‘My notice from my old job was up on April 12 [last] year. I fell ill in March, so I couldn’t take up my new role.

‘Financially, I’m in dire straits. It’s impacting my life everywhere, but I’m a positive person. You can’t just give up to it. You have to put up your big girl drawers and face it.’

The World Health Organisation has classified talc powder as ‘probably carcinogenic to humans’ on the basis of ‘limited evidence for cancer in humans’, including ovarian cancer.

In August 2022, J&J announced that it will stop selling its talc powder around the world after facing tens of thousands of lawsuits from women claiming asbestos in the product caused them to develop ovarian cancer.

The company discontinued sales of its talc-based baby powder in the UK in 2023.

J&J Worldwide Vice President of Litigation Erik Haas said: ‘Kenvue, which sold the talc powder products and is responsible for any alleged associated liability that arises outside the US or Canada, spun off from Johnson & Johnson in 2023.

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‘Johnson & Johnson takes the issue of talc safety incredibly seriously and always has.  As our documents show, 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.

‘Those findings uniformly show the absence of asbestos contamination in Johnson’s Baby Powder and the talc sourced for Johnson’s Baby Powder.  Independent science makes clear that talc is not associated with the risk of ovarian cancer nor mesothelioma.

‘There is a group of US mass tort plaintiffs’ lawyers who are actively pushing a false narrative about the history of talc and its alleged contamination to media globally.’

Mr Haas added that ‘the vast majority of trials in the U.S. have resulted in defense verdicts and/or appellate outcomes’.

Tom Longstaff, a partner at KP Law who is leading the UK case against J&J, said: ‘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.’

A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson said: ‘We are sorry to hear of the immense suffering that Ms Whytock has endured and our thoughts are with her at this difficult time.

‘We are clear that asbestos is a prohibited substance in cosmetics and that manufacturers must identify any unavoidable traces of asbestos in their products and demonstrate the safety of the product in an appropriate risk assessment.’

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