Johnson & Johnson has been under fire over allegations that its baby powder causes cancer—and now it’s going to have to pay up big. In a deal announced Tuesday, the company said it would pay $8.9 billion over 25 years to address “all current and future” accusations linking its talcum powder to cancer, according to ABC News. “The newly announced settlement marks a significant victory for the tens of thousands of women suffering from gynecological cancers caused by J&J's talc-based products,” a group of law firms representing plaintiffs said in a statement, referencing the over 38,000 lawsuits linking J&J’s talcum powder to ovarian cancer and mesothelioma. Just to pay the hefty fee, J&J has been forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for a second time, though it has not conceded any wrongdoing and has repeatedly asserted that its baby powders are safe.
