Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle company, Goop, may think that the products they sell are helpful but others disagree. The controversy has evolved into a formal complaint filed against Goop - a move that starts the legal ball rolling down Goop's vaginal egg lined path.
The complaint was made by two California district attorneys along with the non-profit Truth in Advertising (TINA). They claim that Goop has made “unsubstantiated, and therefore deceptive, health and disease-treatment claims to market many of its products.”
It is not a surprise that Goop is in legal hot water - it has been recognized for some time that they sell products that are in their own class of quackery. The real problem, however, is not really the Jade Eggs or Unicorn Skin. It's the false claims made about them - and a lot of Goop's other wacky products.
Stephen Colbert spent almost 7 minutes of his late night show picking apart the claims made by Goop, paying special attention to the product "Body Vibes - Wearable Stickers that Promote Healing (Really!)." When the false claim was made that these stickers are "made with the same conductive carbon material NASA uses to line space suits," NASA promptly responded stating that there is no Carbon used in their space suits
During an investigation into Goop's claims, TINA found more than 50 examples of when Goop made claims to either treat, cure, prevent, alleviate symptoms or reduce risk of developing ailments.
Most of the health claims were made on Goop's website (43 of them). The others were made during a "Goop-extravaganza" called "In Goop Health" that took place this past June in Los Angeles, drawing a lot of attention.
TINA is "dedicated to empowering consumers to protect themselves and one another against false advertising and deceptive marketing," In fairness, TINA alerted Goop about their seriousness in this matter, and warned the company in a letter that they intended to file a complaint if certain corrections were not made regarding these claims.
The letter reads, "Specifically, TINA.org has found numerous instances in which your company claims, either expressly or implicitly, that its products – or third-party products that it promotes – can treat, cure, prevent, or alleviate the symptoms of a number of ailments, including, for example:"
Infertility - Trauma - Inflammation - Arthritis - Insomnia - Uterine prolapse - Hormone imbalance - Eczema - Psoriasis - Acne - Fevers - Depression - Anxiety - Panic attacks - Migraines - Hypertension - Autoimmune diseases - Cancer - Nerve pain - Constipation
So, good for TINA for not allowing another snake oil salesman to get away with selling expensive products that are not scientifically proven to do anything. Although filing a complaint is a small step, it is a step in the right direction.
References: https://www.truthinadvertising.org/tina-takes-goop-claims-to-regulators/
