The husband of a mother of-three who died from aggressive ovarian cancer at just 35 has told of how he blames her use of talcum powder for her untimely death — and plans to sue the firm that makes the product.
Jeffrey Wright, now 76, lost his ‘slim and fit’ wife Maureen to the disease in the 90s, who was mother to their children aged 17, 12 and five at the time.
The first sign something was a lump in the left side of her stomach during a fitness class.
Despite undergoing surgery to remove the mass, as well as subsequent chemotherapy, it was later revealed the disease had spread to other parts of her body, including her spine, liver and kidney.
Within five years of her diagnosis, Ms Wright was dead.
As she had no family history of cancer nor other risk factors, he grew curious about reports he’d read linking the disease to talcum powder.
‘For as long as I can remember there was always talc in our bathroom,’ said Mr Wright, who lives in Essex and is a retired businessman.
‘Maureen would use it all over her body after showering.
‘If I kissed her just afterwards, I would say to her that I could smell the talc on her lips.’
Now, Mr Wright is one of thousands of Brits who plan to take on one of world’s largest pharmaceutical firms over claims that the bathroom cabinet staple has the potential to cause tumours.
It what could be one of the largest actions of its kind in British history, nearly 2,000 patients and the bereaved are expected to sign up to a class action against Johnson & Johnson.
Lawyers for the UK claimants say powder sold by the company was contaminated with cancer-causing asbestos, something they allege the pharma giant knew and tried to suppress.
The loss of Mr Wright’s wife meant he was forced to quit his retail business to care for her and their children. Her death left life-long scars, he said.
‘They all left school without any meaningful qualifications because they couldn’t settle down to study, sometimes walking out of class in the middle of the day because they were angry about the loss.’
One of those who believes talcum powder use has robbed them of a loved one is Jeffrey Wright whose wife Maureen (pictured), died of ovarian cancer in the 90s after developing the disease at just 35
Nearly 2,000 cancer patients, survivors and their families are expected to sign up to a class action against Johnson & Johnson
Linda Jones, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer last November, is among the women launching the class action
Speaking of his intention to join class action against Johnson & Johnson he added: ‘I used to joke that when she married me, I was punching above my weight.
‘She was also a fighter. It’s still so hard to believe what happened to her. But it should act as a warning for others.’
Another seeking compensation is Linda Jones, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer last November.
Doctors have told the 66-year-old she may only have a few years left to live.
The company director from North Devon recalled how her mother use to put talc on her body when she was a baby, and she herself kept using it for years after.
‘We just trusted what the adverts said and believed it was a good product,’ she said.
‘My children will lose their mother, I may never even meet my first grandchild, and my husband and I have been robbed of our retirement together after just six years of marriage.
‘If there was any suggestion whatsoever that the talcum powder would cause harm to not only women, but small babies, it should have been taken off the market.’
‘It makes you wonder how many other women who have already died may have been exposed.’
Cassandra Wardle, from Alfreton in Derbyshire, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2022 at the age of just 44, is another woman taking part in the action.
Mrs Wardle said talcum powder was used on her as a baby and as an adult she would regularly use talcum powder as a deodoriser across her whole body, including her genitals.
Cassandra Wardle, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2021, is among the women launching the class action
‘It’s just what people did. Johnson and Johnson talcum powder was in every home and was a trusted brand,’ she said.
‘I am grateful to still be here, but I am also incredibly angry.
‘I want to know why Johnson & Johnson didn’t change the ingredients of the talcum powder when they knew that it was dangerous.’
Sharon Doherty ,57 from Londonderry, Northern Ireland, was another talc user diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2020.
Despite surgery and six months of chemotherapy, Ms Doherty was recently told her cancer has returned. She is now awaiting further NHS treatment.
Tom Longstaff, a partner at KP Law — which is representing the British claimants— said: ‘This once-trusted corporation knew for decades that the asbestos in its talc products was present, that it was dangerous, but did nothing to notify consumers of the risk.
‘We are committed to helping as many people as possible achieve justice in the UK for the actions of profit-hungry executives in US boardrooms.’
In 2020, Sharon Doherty, 57, who lives in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, was also diagnosed with ovarian cancer on the left side, and fallopian tube cancer on the right side
Ovarian cancer which develops in the ovaries, the female organs that produce eggs has been described as a ‘silent killer’, as symptoms don’t present until late stages of the disease
The British action follows thousands of similar claims in the US which have led Johnson & Johnson to pay out billions of dollars in compensation.
Johnson & Johnson discontinued mineral-based talc in the UK last year after stopping sales in the US in 2020.
At the time they said this was due to financial pressures and a ‘misinformation campaign’ around the product.
In the US, the firm has been sued by more than 62,000 people and at least $13bn (£10.3bn) has been paid out or set aside in response to the action.
Talc powder was popular for decades for its ability to keep skin dry and to help avoid rashes, and was used by adults and on babies.
But the powder, made from a naturally occurring mineral, can also contain small amounts of asbestos according to some studies — a carcinogen known to cause cancers when repeatedly inhaled.
However, some of these studies have been criticised for ‘recall bias’ because they asked women with ovarian cancer to remember if they had ever used talc.
While actions against the Johnson & Johnson have been successful several cases have since been overturned on appeal.
The company has denied the allegations posed by the claimants, with representatives saying, ‘they defy logic, rewrite history and ignore the facts’.
Erik Haas, worldwide vice president of litigation at Johnson & Johnson, said the company ‘takes the issue of talc safety incredibly seriously and always has’.
He added: ‘As our documents show, we have relied upon the most state-of-the-art testing protocols for decades and have been entirely transparent with government institutions and academic researchers regarding our findings.
‘Those findings uniformly show the absence of asbestos contamination in Johnson’s Baby Powder and the talc sourced for Johnson’s Baby Powder.
‘Independent science makes clear that talc is not associated with the risk of ovarian cancer nor mesothelioma.’
Mr Haas also claimed Johnson & Johnson had won — or won on appeal — the ‘vast majority’ of trials in the US.
The case is expected to take between four and five years, which has some women involved are concerned they might not live to see the conclusion.