Core Viewpoint - Johnson & Johnson's $10 billion proposal to settle lawsuits related to its talc products has been rejected by a US bankruptcy judge, marking the third failure of the company's bankruptcy strategy in court [1][2][3]. Group 1: Bankruptcy Court Decision - US Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez stated that Johnson & Johnson did not belong in bankruptcy and criticized the proposed settlement for lacking sufficient support from women alleging cancer caused by J&J products [2][3]. - The judge noted that the proposal improperly sought to release legal claims against entities that had not filed for bankruptcy, including retailers and Kenvue, a consumer health business spun off by J&J [3][10]. - Lopez highlighted serious flaws in the voting process conducted by J&J, indicating that many votes collected from plaintiffs' attorneys should not be counted [6][7][9]. Group 2: Company Response and Future Actions - Johnson & Johnson announced it would not appeal the ruling but intends to litigate the claims in court, asserting that the talc claims are meritless [4][11]. - The company faces lawsuits from over 60,000 claimants alleging that its talc products contained asbestos and caused ovarian cancer, with the proposed settlement aimed at resolving these lawsuits [11][12]. - J&J had previously estimated that ovarian cancer patients would receive between $75,000 and $150,000 under the settlement, depending on injury severity and the number of claims [13]. Group 3: Historical Context - Johnson & Johnson has been attempting to resolve these lawsuits through bankruptcy since its first attempt, which has now failed three times [1][5]. - The company stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the US in 2020, switching to a cornstarch product, amid ongoing litigation and safety concerns [11][14].