Key Points:
A Philadelphia jury ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $250,000 in an ovarian cancer talc case on Feb 13, 2026.
The victim, Gayle Emerson, used the company’s baby powder for feminine hygiene from 1969 to 2017 and was diagnosed in 2015.
Jurors found the company liable and failed to warn consumers about potential cancer risks.
J&J denies the link, says its talc is safe and asbestos-free, and plans to appeal the verdict.
The case is part of ongoing nationwide litigation over talc products linked to ovarian cancer and mesothelioma.
A Philadelphia jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $250,000 to the family of a Pennsylvania woman who died from ovarian cancer after decades of using the company’s talcum baby powder, marking another ruling in the long-running legal battle over alleged cancer risks linked to talc products.
The verdict was delivered on February 13, 2026, in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas in the case involving Gayle Emerson of York, Pennsylvania. Jurors concluded the company was liable and failed to adequately warn consumers about potential risks associated with its talc-based powder.
The jury awarded $50,000 in compensatory damages and $200,000 in punitive damages to Emerson’s family.
According to court testimony, Emerson used Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder for feminine hygiene for decades, from 1969 until 2017. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2015 and filed her lawsuit in 2019. She died later that year at the age of 68, after which her children continued the case on behalf of her estate.
Her attorneys argued that the company knew its talc products carried potential cancer risks but did not properly warn users.
Johnson & Johnson disputed the verdict and said it plans to appeal.
The company maintains its talc products are safe, asbestos-free and do not cause cancer. Its lawyers argued scientific evidence does not prove talc causes ovarian cancer and pointed to other possible risk factors in the patient’s medical history.
The case is one of many lawsuits filed across the United States alleging Johnson & Johnson’s talc products caused ovarian cancer or mesothelioma. The Philadelphia proceeding is among the early trials scheduled for 2026 in the continuing litigation.
Previous cases have produced mixed outcomes, with some juries awarding damages and others siding with the company.
During the trial, attorneys referenced scientific studies examining a possible association between long-term genital talc use and ovarian cancer. Plaintiffs argued the product could contain carcinogenic contaminants, while the company maintained research does not establish causation.
Johnson & Johnson previously stopped selling talc-based baby powder in North America in 2020 and ended global sales in 2023, though it continues to deny wrongdoing.
(Rh/ARC)