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The Cover Up Coverup
Key Excerpts from Article on Website of The Lever
Posted: August 7th, 2025
https://www.levernews.com/the-cover-up-coverup/
Juliet Gray never thought her makeup could harm her. But after years of regularly applying powders, eye shadow, and blush, Gray was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma, an aggressive, incurable form of cancer. The cancer’s primary cause is long-term exposure to asbestos — a common contaminant in talc, one of the main ingredients in well-known cosmetic brands. Like thousands of others, Gray is suing Whittaker, Clark, & Daniels, a longtime talc supplier for cosmetic companies like Revlon, Maybelline, and L’Oréal, alleging it exposed her to harmful levels of asbestos without her knowledge. In 2007, three years after Whittaker, Clark, & Daniels ceased talc operations amid mounting health concerns, a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary purchased the company’s equity. But in 2023, as the “deluge” of asbestos lawsuits continued to climb, the former talc supplier filed for bankruptcy — a legal maneuver known as the Texas Two-Step in which giant corporations use bankruptcy courts to shield themselves from legal liabilities. Over the years, Berkshire Hathaway has faced dozens of lawsuits alleging that “Berkshire-owned companies wrongfully delay or deny compensation to cancer victims and others to boost Berkshire’s profits,” according to a 2013 investigation. But by 2011, the company found itself facing an increasing number of lawsuits alleging tainted cosmetic talc had caused mesothelioma, eventually racking up $300 million in claim bills.
Note: For more along these lines, read our concise summaries of news articles on corporate corruption and toxic chemicals.
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