Goop Inc., a women’s lifestyle brand founded by actress Gwyneth Paltrow, has agreed to a $145,000 settlement in a lawsuit filed by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office over false advertising.
Prosecutors from Santa Clara and eight other counties including Napa, Alameda, Marin, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Solano, and Sonoma, alleged that three of Goop’s female sexual health products were misleading and medically unsupported.
Goop advertised the Jade and Rose Quartz eggs as cure-alls for several female health and hormonal issues, according to prosecutors. The egg-shaped stones are meant to be inserted into the vagina and left in place for varying amounts of time.
The company said its stones and the Inner Judge Flower Essence Blend, taken orally or added to bathwater, could balance hormones, regulate menstrual cycles, prevent depression, prevent uterine prolapse and a combination of other illnesses, according to prosecutors.
Though the products are still available on Goop’s website, the company has said it will fully refund customers who purchased the products between Jan. 12 and Aug. 31, 2017, according to prosecutors.
Heather Wilson, a spokeswoman for Goop, stressed on Sept. 4, the settlement addresses advertising claims, and not the three products themselves. The company has not received any complaints regarding these product claims, she added.
In a formal statement, Goop said, “While Goop believes there is an honest disagreement about these claims, the company wanted to settle this matter quickly and amicably.”
Prosecutors said Goop will also be prohibited from making claims about its products without having reliable scientific evidence or selling medical devices that are unapproved or falsely advertised.
“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 statement. “We will vigilantly protect consumers against companies that promise health benefits without the support of good science...or any science.”
Prosecutors said Goop cooperated with all legal proceedings.
