Photo: Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images
Gwyneth Paltrow‘s lifestyle company Goop has agreed to pay a $145,000 settlement for “misleading” claims about the effectiveness of three of their products — including two of their vaginal eggs.
“It’s important to hold companies accountable for unsubstantiated claims, especially when the claims have the potential to affect women’s health” Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, representing one of the ten counties involved in the lawsuit,said in a statement.
“Goop provides a forum for practitioners to present their views and experiences with various products like the jade egg. The law, though, sometimes views statements like this as advertising claims, which are subject to various legal requirements,” said Erica Moore, Chief Financial Officer of Goop. “The Task Force assisted us in applying those laws to the content we published, and we appreciate their guidance in this matter as we move from a pioneer in this space to an established wellness authority.”
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Goop has offered to refund any customers who purchased the three products between Jan. 12 and Aug. 31, 2017.
Goop hasfrequently faced criticism for their health claims, from“healing stickers”that they claimed were made with material found in space suits, to the chagrin of NASA, to advice from a doctor to try vagina steaming.
The health benefits of their jade eggs, in particular,were a common target.Dr. Jen Gunter, a San Francisco-based OB-GYN and blogger, wrote a post that explains why women should stay away from vaginal eggs, whichprompted Goop to put up a post titled“Uncensored: A Word From Our Doctors,” to defend themselves.
Without naming Gunter or other critics, Goop’s post defended their articles and products.
“Asking questions is the job of all of us; it is also the job of the doctors and scientists who collectively move our health forward. There is much that we do not know. It is unfortunate that there are some who seem to believe that they already know it all, who pre-judge information before they’ve even taken the time to read or understand it, who believe that there is actually nothing left to learn, who believe that they, singularly, own the truth,” they wrote. “That is troubling, and that is dangerous.”
source: people.com
