Dana Taylor

Hello and welcome to The Excerpt. I'm Dana Taylor. Today is Wednesday, May 21st, 2025, and this is a special episode of The Excerpt. For generations of Americans, the Johnson & Johnson brand has been a beloved one, as quintessentially American as baseball and apple pie. Its baby shampoo, No More Tears, has been a fixture in bathrooms, as has its iconic Band-Aids and talcum powder.

Hello and welcome to The Excerpt. I'm Dana Taylor. Today is Wednesday, May 21st, 2025, and this is a special episode of The Excerpt. For generations of Americans, the Johnson & Johnson brand has been a beloved one, as quintessentially American as baseball and apple pie. Its baby shampoo, No More Tears, has been a fixture in bathrooms, as has its iconic Band-Aids and talcum powder.

But it's that last item, the talcum powder, that may prove to be a tipping point in destroying its hard-won 139-year-old reputation with consumers. To find out why, we're now joined by author and freelance investigative journalist Gardner Harris. His new book, No More Tears, The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson, is on bookshelves now. Gardner, thanks for joining me. Thanks for having me, Dana.

But it's that last item, the talcum powder, that may prove to be a tipping point in destroying its hard-won 139-year-old reputation with consumers. To find out why, we're now joined by author and freelance investigative journalist Gardner Harris. His new book, No More Tears, The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson, is on bookshelves now. Gardner, thanks for joining me. Thanks for having me, Dana.

There are two products that immediately come to mind when I think of Johnson & Johnson. One inspired the title of your book, Johnson & Johnson's Baby Shampoo, No More Tears. The other, the topic of your investigation, is J&J's baby powder. What are the risks associated with talcum powder? And can you share some of the evidence you uncovered that the company knew about those risks?

There are two products that immediately come to mind when I think of Johnson & Johnson. One inspired the title of your book, Johnson & Johnson's Baby Shampoo, No More Tears. The other, the topic of your investigation, is J&J's baby powder. What are the risks associated with talcum powder? And can you share some of the evidence you uncovered that the company knew about those risks?

So can you give us some of the evidence that you uncovered specifically as relates to baby powder?

So can you give us some of the evidence that you uncovered specifically as relates to baby powder?

As you say, there are literally tens of thousands of pending lawsuits against J&J. And while this J&J subsidiary is still in bankruptcy because of all the lawsuits, the company's been unable to reach a settlement that's acceptable to the courts. What's the big sticking point here?

As you say, there are literally tens of thousands of pending lawsuits against J&J. And while this J&J subsidiary is still in bankruptcy because of all the lawsuits, the company's been unable to reach a settlement that's acceptable to the courts. What's the big sticking point here?

Gardner, did you find that the people you approached for your book, doctors, former employees, were willing to speak to you on the record? What kind of risks did they face in coming forward?

Gardner, did you find that the people you approached for your book, doctors, former employees, were willing to speak to you on the record? What kind of risks did they face in coming forward?

Tylenol, another Johnson & Johnson product, became a target of product tampering in the 1980s. People died when someone successfully slipped cyanide into Tylenol bottles. The tampering crisis led to their creation of tamper-proof bottles still in use today. They're an important part of the Johnson & Johnson legacy, but your book takes aim at their response. Why?

Tylenol, another Johnson & Johnson product, became a target of product tampering in the 1980s. People died when someone successfully slipped cyanide into Tylenol bottles. The tampering crisis led to their creation of tamper-proof bottles still in use today. They're an important part of the Johnson & Johnson legacy, but your book takes aim at their response. Why?

Yours is a story about a beloved American brand. At its core, it's a story about the people behind the brand and the people affected by the brand. What compelled you to tell this story?

Yours is a story about a beloved American brand. At its core, it's a story about the people behind the brand and the people affected by the brand. What compelled you to tell this story?

And finally, your book was released last month. How has J&J responded?

And finally, your book was released last month. How has J&J responded?

We reached out to Johnson & Johnson for comment on Harris' investigation, and they issued a statement saying, quote, we stand by the safety of our products and are focused on what we do best, delivering medical innovation for patients around the world, unquote.

We reached out to Johnson & Johnson for comment on Harris' investigation, and they issued a statement saying, quote, we stand by the safety of our products and are focused on what we do best, delivering medical innovation for patients around the world, unquote.