Gwyneth Paltrow’s controversial lifestyle and wellness brand, Goop, is back in the news for making questionable health and science claims without evidence.
The company paid $145,000 in penalties and agreed to provide refunds to customers to settle a California consumer-protection case accusing it of making unsubstantiated claims about products called Jade Egg, Rose Quartz Egg, and Inner Judge Flower Essence Blend.
Goop claimed its Jade and Rose Quartz Eggs, which cost up to $66 and were meant for vaginal insertion, would lead to better sex for women, help regulate the menstrual cycle and increase bladder control. It promoted the Inner Judge Flower Essence Blend as prevention against depression, the California Food, Drug, and Medical Device Task Force said in a statement.
The settlement, which also includes the Orange County District Attorney’s office, forbids Goop “from making any claims regarding the efficacy of its products without possessing competent and reliable scientific evidence, and from manufacturing or selling any misbranded, unapproved, or falsely-advertised medical devices.” Goop will provide refunds to customers who bought the products between Jan. 12, 2017, and Aug. 31, 2017.
Goop “believes there is an honest disagreement about these claims,” Erica Moore, the company’s chief financial officer, said in a statement to HuffPost.
“Goop provides a forum for practitioners to present their views and experiences with various products like the jade egg,” Moore said. “The law, though, sometimes views statements like this as advertising claims, which are subject to various legal requirements.”
Doctors came forward to protest the health claims soon after Goop’s vaginal egg products went on sale last year.
“There is no evidence at all to suggest that [jade eggs] may help, and it carries potential harms, including vaginal infection and trauma,” Dr. Maria Isabel Rodriguez, an assistant professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Oregon Health & Science University, told HuffPost at the time.
She added: “The vagina and the rest of our reproductive organs are actually quite smart at regulating themselves and need no interference from douches, jade eggs or Gwyneth Paltrow.”
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