Ben Nye, the popular Hollywood makeup artist, filed for bankruptcy as it faces cancer lawsuits related to its talc makeup products.
The company is filing bankruptcy to reorganize assets and sidestep talc cancer lawsuits. The company faces lawsuits from people with ovarian cancer and mesothelioma claiming the company’s makeup products caused their malignancies. Talc makeup and other talc products can contain asbestos, which can cause mesothelioma and ovarian cancer.
Ben Nye has been a staple of Hollywood makeup artistry for more than 40 years. The brand has been part of many blockbuster movies such as “Gone With the Wind”, “Miracle on 34th Street”, “The Fly” and “Planet of the Apes.”
How Is Talc Connected to Mesothelioma and Ovarian Cancer?
Talc and mesothelioma are connected due to asbestos. Talc is a naturally occurring mineral that can be manufactured into a talcum powder for health and beauty products, including makeup. Asbestos, another mineral, can contaminate talcum powder during mining and manufacturing.
Asbestos is the only known cause of mesothelioma, and it can cause other malignancies such as ovarian cancer and lung cancer. Mesothelioma and ovarian cancer are the main two diseases caused by asbestos in talcum powder products.
Asbestos diseases such as mesothelioma and ovarian cancer take decades to form. Loose asbestos fibers hide in the talcum powder, and people can inhale or swallow these fibers once they’re released during product use.
The fibers often travel through the body to the outlet layer of the person’s ovaries. Since the fibers are sharp, they can irritate the cell linings and cause cells to mutate and duplicate rapidly. This leads to an overgrowth of cells, which eventually forms a tumor.
Mesothelioma forms when asbestos fibers travel to the thin tissue lining around the person’s lungs or abdominal cavity. These two linings are made of mesothelial cells, which can mutate into mesothelioma. The linings protect the lungs and abdominal cavity, but asbestos fibers can get trapped in the linings and puncture the cell linings.
Ben Nye’s Bankruptcy Filing
According to the website Beauty Independent, Ben Nye filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Central District of California. The bankruptcy filing discloses the company’s assets of roughly $1 million to $10 million and estimated liabilities of $100,000-$500,000. In the Beauty Independent article, company officials were cited saying the company is financially stable to remain in business following the bankruptcy.
Ben Nye does not sell makeup products directly to consumers, instead selling to approximately 500 wholesale partners, according to Beauty Independent. Among the partners are professional makeup retailers, costume shops, schools, and theater companies. Popular face powders from the brand include Colorless Luxury Face Powder, Cameo Luxury Face Powder, Topaz Luxury Face Powder, Dark Chestnut Luxury Face Powder and Banana Luxury Powder.
In the past, the company manufactured and sold face powders containing talc. The company stopped this practice in January of 2024.
Other Health and Beauty Brands Facing Talc Cancer Lawsuits
People affected by mesothelioma and ovarian cancer – whether the person diagnosed or their family members – have filed tens of thousands of lawsuits against companies selling talcum powder products. The wave of lawsuits has brought the dangers of talc and asbestos to the public’s consciousness.
Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder is the most prominent brand involved in the talcum powder lawsuits. The company’s once-popular Baby Powder was made with talcum powder until 2020. The company faces more than 50,000 talc lawsuits from people affected by either ovarian cancer or mesothelioma.
Johnson & Johnson is also attempting a Chapter 11 bankruptcy maneuver, hoping to settle its 50,000-plus pending cancer lawsuits and create an asbestos trust fund for future claims from victims.
Claire’s and Chanel are two other well-known health and beauty brands facing talc cancer lawsuits.
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