A high-stakes bellwether trial that could shape the trajectory of thousands of talc-cancer claims nationwide erupted Thursday with accusations that Johnson & Johnson concealed asbestos risks in its iconic powder products for decades. The dramatic opening unfolded before a packed Los Angeles courtroom in what plaintiffs’ counsel cast as a battle for truth — and survival.
First of Three Bellwether Trials in California
The proceeding marks the first of three bellwether trials in a massive coordinated action involving hundreds of cases in Los Angeles Superior Court. These suits are part of tens of thousands of claims asserting J&J’s Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower products caused ovarian cancer — litigation recently revived after the company’s failed attempt to channel the claims into bankruptcy.
The case pairs the claims of plaintiff Monica Kent with those of Deborah and Albert Schultz, whose allegations will be tried side-by-side.
Plaintiffs Say J&J “Knew but Hid” Asbestos Findings
Anthony Dow Birchfield Jr. of Beasley Allen, representing Kent, wasted no time confronting jurors with what he said was the heart of the case: a paper trail showing J&J had known since at least the 1960s that its talc could contain tremolite and asbestos, yet chose secrecy over transparency.
As Kent sat in the front row with an oxygen tube, and Schultz—her head wrapped in a scarf—watched quietly, Birchfield told jurors the women “trusted Johnson’s to be pure and safe.”
He said internal reports, handwritten notes, and decades-old lab results will show a pattern of concealment.
“They didn’t know,” Birchfield said. “But the evidence will show Johnson & Johnson did — and they used their power to bury it.”
