Talc Powder Class Action

The Claims

Nation-wide class action, filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, against Johnson & Johnson over allegations that its Baby Powder product causes ovarian cancer.

The plaintiffs all purchased and/or used Baby Powder, which they allege can cause epithelial ovarian cancer, in their perineal region for hygiene purposes. The suit aims to raise awareness of the serious cancer risk posed to women by Baby Powder use, and to change the behaviour of companies that put known carcinogens into the stream of the Canadian marketplace without warning.

The Class

All persons resident in Canada who purchased for their female perineal use and/or used JOHNSON’S® baby powder containing talc (“Baby Powder”) on their female perineum and their estates, administrators, or legal representatives, heirs or beneficiaries (the “Class” or “Class Members”); and
All Class Members who developed EOC subsequent to their perineal use of Baby Powder (the “EOC Class” or “EOC Class Members”); and
All persons who, on account of a personal relationship to a Class Member, are entitled to assert a derivative claim for damages pursuant to section 61(1) of the Family Law Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.F.3, as amended and comparable provincial and territorial legislation (the “Family Class” or “Family Class Members”).

Updates

On May 18, 2016, this class action was commenced.
The certification motion was scheduled to be argued in December 2022, but the action was stayed pending the US bankruptcy proceeding. All North American talc litigation was stayed until September 2023 due to the US bankruptcy proceedings.
The certification motion was heard from May 27-30, 2025 and Justice Leiper of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice released a decision on June 25, 2025 adjourning her final determination on the certification and stay motions pending the resolution of an outstanding appeal in a parallel British Columbia action. This appeal was resolved in October 2025 and the parties re-attended before Justice Leiper on December 10, 2025. We are currently awaiting her final decision.
On March 4, 2026, Justice Leiper granted certification of the Plaintiff’s claim.