Woman awarded $260M from Johnson & Johnson following cancer diagnosis

An iconic household baby powder will disappear from shelves in the U.S. and Canada, in part because thousands of cancer patients are claiming it made them sick.(Live 5 News)
Published: Jun. 7, 2024 at 2:22 PM EDT

BEAVERTON, Ore. (KPTV/Gray News) – A woman in Oregon was recently awarded $260 million in a lawsuit against pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson.

Kyung Lee, 49, was diagnosed with mesothelioma in Aug. 2023.

The lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson claimed that the company’s baby powder products were “directly responsible” for her cancer diagnosis.

A Portland jury found that the baby powder with talc had been shown to contain asbestos.

Lee, who is a mother of three, was awarded $60 million in damages and $200 million in punitive damages.

Kyung Lee and her family(Androvett via Kyung Lee)

“For years, Kyung and her family used Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder not having any idea it could lead to a life-ending illness,” said Ms. Lee’s attorney Ben Adams of Dean Omar Branham Shirley. “Today, Ms. Lee was able to see justice and secure a future for her family after she is gone.”

Johnson & Johnson discontinued the talc-containing powder in 2020.