Ben Crump Files Lawsuit Against Johnson & Johnson For Black Women in Advocacy Group

Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump has teamed up with a Black women’s organization on a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson.

On Tuesday, Crump filed a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson on behalf of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), Insider reported. The suit accuses Johnson & Johnson’s talcum baby powder product of leading to cancer diagnosis for some of the members of the nonprofit.

The complaint accuses Johnson & Johnson of targeting their products to Black women “knowing that Black women were more likely to use the Powder Products and use them regularly. These Powder Products were not safe, however.”

“NCNW has thousands of members who have used J&J’s [p]owder [p]roducts. Some of those members have already been injured through the development of ovarian cancer caused by J&J’s [p]owder [p]roducts,” the suit states. “Others have legitimate reasons to believe that they will develop symptoms and are thus suffering psychological harm while also requiring immediate medical monitoring.”

Crump spoke at a press conference in Washington D.C. on Tuesday on behalf of NCNW, an organization founded in 1935 with a mission to “lead, advocate for, and empower women of African descent, their families, and their communities.”

“I would be remiss if I did not say exactly what this lawsuit is about. It is about the lives of our grandmothers, our mothers, our sisters, our daughters, our nieces, and our wives, and how they were sinisterly targeted by Johnson and Johnson,” Crump said.

“This multi-billion-dollar corporation, their corporate executives, know about the link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer,” he added.

Johnson & Johnson has faced at least 25,000 cases over its talcum baby powder. The company has denied the allegations that the product was marketed to Black women, saying its advertising campaigns are “multicultural and inclusive,” ABC News reported.

The company also denied accusations that its baby powder causes cancer, despite a court ruling in favor of 22 ovarian cancer victims who sued the company as part of a separate lawsuit. Their suit claimed their cancer was caused by asbestos found in its baby powder and other talc products.

“Black women have always been the backbone of this country, standing up for everyone, but receiving the least amount of respect,” Crump said at the press conference. “Well, it is time that we stand up for Black women.”