Book Review — No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson

Book Review — No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson
(Hardcover – April 8, 2025)

Gardiner Harris’s No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson is nothing short of a landmark achievement in investigative nonfiction. Not only is it meticulously researched, it offers a fiercely compelling exposé that reexamines how we think about corporate power, public health, and trust in American institutions.

From the first page, Harris draws readers into an unforgettable journey: what begins as an unassuming conversation at an airport bar becomes the catalyst for one of the most thorough examinations of a corporate giant in modern memory. With the skill of a seasoned journalist and the narrative drive of a thriller writer, Harris dismantles the carefully constructed myth of Johnson & Johnson - a company once associated with safety, purity, and everyday care - exposing a history full of deception, ethical lapses, and decisions with profound consequences for millions of lives.

What makes No More Tears particularly compelling is Harris’s dual mastery of rigorous reporting and storytelling craft. The book doesn’t just catalog scandals; it weaves human stories, regulatory context, and corporate strategy into a tapestry that is as intellectually rigorous as it is emotionally gripping. Whether he is chronicling decades-long concealment of asbestos in baby powder or untangling the aggressive marketing behind drugs like Risperdal and Duragesic, Harris never loses sight of the human cost buried beneath corporate PR.

History of J&J's Harms

For decades, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has faced intense scrutiny and legal challenges over allegations that it repeatedly put profits ahead of consumer safety. Central among these is the talc-based baby powder controversy: plaintiffs in tens of thousands of lawsuits allege the company’s iconic Baby Powder and Shower-to-Shower products were contaminated with asbestos, a potent carcinogen, and that J&J knew about the risk yet continued to market the products as safe without adequate warnings. These claims have led to massive jury verdicts and ongoing multidistrict litigation involving alleged links to ovarian cancer and mesothelioma, with plaintiffs securing significant awards and J&J spending billions defending claims, even as it denies wrongdoing and attributes findings to so-called “junk science.”

In addition to the talc litigation, J&J and its subsidiaries have been found liable for illegal marketing practices. A notable example came in 2025 when a federal judge ordered a Janssen pharmaceutical unit to pay $1.64 billion after a whistleblower suit revealed that HIV medications were promoted for off-label uses not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, causing false claims to be submitted to government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.

The company’s legal record also includes criminal and civil penalties under the False Claims Act for years of off-label drug promotion and billing misconduct, as well as numerous lawsuits over medical devices and pharmaceutical products. Internal company documents exposed during litigation suggest long-standing awareness of safety concerns, fueling criticism that Johnson & Johnson’s internal practices prioritized market share over transparency and consumer protection.

These high-profile cases form part of a broader picture in which a once-trusted household name has been repeatedly accused of deceptive practices and insufficient oversight,  reinforcing concerns about corporate accountability in the healthcare and consumer goods industries.

Critically, Harris also situates his critique within a broader system, exposing not just one company’s missteps, but the vulnerabilities of the regulatory frameworks meant to protect the public. His analysis of how agencies like the FDA and the pharmaceutical industry have become intertwined makes the book not only a corporate exposé but a clarion call for systemic reform. Despite its weighty subject matter, No More Tears is a book that educates as much as it captivates, ideal for readers interested in corporate ethics, public health, economics, or journalistic excellence.

Recognition and praise for No More Tears has been widespread: it has been lauded as a New York Times bestseller, a longlist contender for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and recognized by major public libraries as one of the year’s most significant works. The author’s deep experience as a public health and pharmaceutical reporter shines throughout, combining narrative authority with journalistic integrity.

In a media landscape crowded with celebrity memoirs and genre fiction, No More Tears stands out as a vital, enduring contribution to public discourse, one that challenges readers to reconsider what trust really means in a world where the products we use daily are entwined with profit motives and opaque corporate governance. Whether you’re a health professional, a policy advocate, or someone who simply cares about truth and accountability, No More Tears deserves a place on your shelf, and a place in future conversations about accountability in healthcare, ethics, and corporate responsibility.

Update 1/21/2026:

In a significant win for the thousands of women suing Johnson & Johnson over allegations that its baby powder and other talc products contributed to their ovarian cancer, a court-appointed special master recommended on Tuesday that they be permitted to present expert testimony at trial supporting the connection.

This recommendation from retired U.S. District Judge Freda Wolfson comes amid the ongoing litigation, which includes over 67,500 lawsuits in New Jersey’s federal court, and sets the stage for the potential first trial later this year.

In product liability cases like those involving J&J, expert testimony is crucial to establish whether the product in question can cause the harm alleged. The decision on which expert testimony is allowed can often be a pivotal moment in these cases.

Judge Michael Shipp, overseeing the litigation in Trenton, New Jersey, appointed Wolfson to evaluate the expert testimony to determine if it met the scientific standards required under federal law. While Wolfson’s ruling is only a recommendation, Judge Shipp will consider objections from both sides before making a final decision.

One key finding in Wolfson's 658-page ruling was that the plaintiffs’ experts should be allowed to testify to a potential causal link between the use of J&J talc products and cancer, a claim that the company has consistently denied. Read more here: NTD News