Cherie Craft used Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder every day of her life until being diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma in January 2024. The 54-year-old mother of five and Baltimore nonprofit founder filed suit against the company, leading to a record $1.5 billion jury award.
Mesothelioma Devastates Mother and Nonprofit Leader
The jury in the mesothelioma trial heard extensive testimony about asbestos contamination in talc, the role thattalc plays in the formation of the rare and deadly cancer, and Mrs. Craft’s daily use of cosmetic talc products, including Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder, all over her body, from 1971 to 2024. Diagnosed almost two years ago, the illness has reportedly devastated Craft, who is a mother of five and founder, CEO, and executive director of Smart from the Start, a nonprofit supporting children and families through trauma-informed community programs.
Mesothelioma is a rare al and fatal form of cancer that develops in the lining of body cavities that hold internal organs. The peritoneal form of the disease affects the cavity that holds the abdominal organs, and though there is no cure, some patients have been able to survive for several years through treatment with surgery and chemotherapy.
Baltimore Jury Assigns J&J Largest Mesothelioma Sum Awarded to a Single Victim
Once closing arguments had ended, it took the Baltimore City jury just one day of deliberations to decide that Johnson & Johnson and its co-defendants had been negligent in their failure to warn Mrs. Craft about the dangers posed by their talc products. The $1.5 billion award is thought to be the largest sum ever awarded against Johnson & Johnson for a single plaintiff. It includes $59.84 million in compensatory damages and $1 billion in punitive damages against Johnson & Johnson, plus $500 million against the company’s subsidiary Pecos River Talc.
The last several weeks have seen a cascade of multi-million dollar mesothelioma and ovarian cancer verdicts against Johnson & Johnson, including last week’s $65.5 million award to a Minnesota woman, a California jury decision earlier in December that awarded $40 million to two women who said the company’s baby powder caused their ovarian cancer, and a $966 million award following the pleural mesothelioma death of an 88-year-old California woman.
Nearly 70,000 Mesothelioma and Ovarian Cancer Claims Pending Against J&J
More than 67,000 plaintiffs who say they were diagnosed with mesothelioma or ovarian cancer after using baby powder and other talc products have claims pending against Johnson & Johnson. The company has tried to resolve litigation through a series of controversial bankruptcy settlement proposals, but those efforts have been rejected by courts because of the company’s significant holdings. Johnson & Johnson stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the United States in 2020 and globally in 2023, switching to cornstarch-based alternatives.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma and you believe contaminated talc played a role, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608 to learn more.
