Goop to pay thousands in damages over unsubstantiated health claims

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Sep 6, 2018

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle brand Goop will pay $145,000 in damages for making unsupported scientific claims about vaginal eggs. 

In a lawsuit filed by California's consumer protection office, Goop was accused of making products seem capable of providing unrealistic health benefits without any supporting scientific evidence.

The brand's rose quartz egg ($55) and jade egg ($66) are meant to be inserted vaginally and claim to provide feminine health benefits, a statement the lawsuit deemed to be 'pseudoscience'. In addition to the eggs, Goop's stress-relief flower essence, which the brand claims can cure depression, also came under fire. 

"The health and money of Santa Clara County residents should never be put at risk by misleading advertising," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a written statement. "We will vigilantly protect consumers against companies that promise health benefits without the support of good science…or any science."

In a statement, Goop said that it "believes there is an honest disagreement about these claims, the company wanted to settle this matter quickly and amicably. This settlement does not indicate any liability on Goop's part".

In the aftermath of the settlement, both vaginal eggs are still for sale. Goop is prohibited from making health claims that are not backed up by science in the future.

The brand, which has frequently come under fire for its health claims, announced its decision to hire a fact-checking team in July.