Deceased ‘Euphoria’ Actor’s Family Suing Johnson & Johnson for Father’s Mesothelioma Death

Angus Cloud, the former actor of the HBO TV show “Euphoria”, tragically passed away earlier in 2023 due to a drug overdose. His father died a few months prior from mesothelioma cancer.

Now, according to People magazine and other reports, the surviving wife and her daughters are suing Johnson & Johnson for the father’s death, attributing the cancer to long-term use of Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder.

Mesothelioma is a rare and fast-spreading cancer. It forms in the lining of the lungs, abdominal cavity and heart. The only cause is exposure to asbestos.

There have been numerous reports and studies linking asbestos exposure to the usage of Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder, which was made for decades with talc. Asbestos and talc are both naturally occurring minerals that exist near one another in the earth’s soil.

Talc that’s contaminated with asbestos has been linked to mesothelioma, lung cancer and ovarian cancer.

 

Details of the Lawsuit

Angus Cloud’s father, Conor Joseph Hickey, passed away in May 2023 after he was diagnosed with stage 4 malignant mesothelioma. Angus Cloud died on July 31 from an accidental overdose.

Lisa Cloud, along with her daughters Molly and Fiona Hickey, is now filing a wrongful death lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson “for personal injuries and loss of consortium,” according to People magazine’s report, from the father’s death.

People magazine reports that the lawsuit centers around Conor Hickey’s use of Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder throughout his life, which was 1957 to 2023. He used it after bathing and also applied it to his shoes.

One of the aspects of this story is the proximity between the deaths of Conor Hickey and Angus Cloud. People magazine reports that one week before Angus’ overdose, he and his family spread his father’s ashes.

Angus Cloud was a popular actor, most well-known for his role as the beloved character “Fezco” on the hit HBO show “Euphoria.” There have been two seasons of the show, both of which featured Angus Cloud. He was 25 years old when he died in July 2023. His father died at the age of 65.

 

History of Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder Controversy

Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder was a popular health and skincare product for decades. The item’s main ingredient was talc, which is a naturally occurring mineral. Once mined, it is ground into a powder (talcum powder).

Parents would apply the talcum powder onto their children’s skin. This would absorb moisture, which keeps skin dry and healthy.

Unfortunately, these parents were unaware of the possibility of asbestos hidden in the powder. Several studies have found trace levels of asbestos fibers in samples of Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder.

Asbestos is most dangerous when it splinters from the source, becoming a sharp fiber that can float in the air and be inhaled or swallowed. Parents who applied the talcum powder product were potentially releasing sharp fibers into the air in their home, exposing themselves and their children.

Adding to the issues surrounding Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder were reports the company knew of the asbestos contamination in the product yet said nothing to its customers. In 2018, Reuters published a bombshell article exposing Johnson & Johnson’s confidential internal reports and documents, which hinted at company officials knowing of the dangers yet trying to keep them from reaching the public.

In 2019, the FDA tested samples of Johnson & Johnson and found evidence of asbestos. The company then recalled 33,000 bottles of the product. In 2020, facing a rising mountain of expensive verdicts favoring cancer victims and thousands more pending lawsuits, Johnson & Johnson stopped manufacturing and selling the product in the United States and Canada.

Johnson & Johnson continued producing and selling the product in other parts of the world, which brought criticism since it seemed the company was ending the product in markets where it was vulnerable to lawsuits but continued selling it in third-world countries. However, the company recently announced it would stop selling the talcum powder product worldwide.

 

Claims Against Johnson & Johnson for Baby Powder and Asbestos

Many cancer victims have filed asbestos lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson and received substantial compensation to offset expensive medical bills, lost wages, the surviving family’s funeral costs and more. Many of these victims had mesothelioma cancer, which has a 5-year survival rate below 10% because it quickly spreads to vital organs such as the lungs and kidneys.

For instance, in May 2019, a woman diagnosed with mesothelioma was awarded a verdict of $325 million in a case against Johnson & Johnson. In August 2020, another woman with mesothelioma was awarded $26.5 million in a verdict against the company.

Johnson & Johnson has tried to sidestep any current or future lawsuits by creating a subsidiary company to shoulder the Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder brand legal issues – and having that subsidiary go bankrupt to avoid being taken to court. However, two attempts at this ploy have been blocked by bankruptcy judges.

As of today, Johnson & Johnson faces tens of thousands of cancer lawsuits related to its talc Baby Powder and other talc products.