Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton appeared on Newsmax, Friday, to discuss his recent lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue over the risk Tylenol poses to pregnant women.
Paxton said Johnson & Johnson and its spinoff Kenvue deceived pregnant women about potential risks associated with taking acetaminophen, sold as Tylenol, asserting that the companies concealed evidence linking the over-the-counter pain reliever to autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
The state filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Travis County District Court, accusing Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue of violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by failing to warn consumers that acetaminophen — Tylenol's active ingredient — might heighten the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Paxton told "Rob Schmitt Tonight" he had previously sued Johnson & Johnson only to see them move their liabilities over to another company.
He said the company put a warning that acetaminophen may be bad for pregnant mothers.
"We think that we have a legitimate lawsuit," Paxton said. "And through discovery, we think we'll find out more."
Paxton said Johnson & Johnson has known there was a liability risk for Tylenol for years. The complaint alleges the companies engaged in a "fraudulent transfer" when Johnson & Johnson spun off its consumer health business into Kenvue in 2023, a move Paxton said was meant to "shield itself from liability."
"If they didn’t think they had a liability problem, why did they try to separate out the liabilities?" Paxton said. "Acetaminophen is a legitimate product for a lot of reasons. It's just that in this case with pregnant mothers there's risk."
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight’s special series and President Trump’s comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.