Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle and wellness brand, Goop, has settled a six-figure lawsuit brought by consumers who purchased jade and quartz “vagina eggs” that were supposed to help regulate their hormones and ease their menstrual cramps.
It turns out, contrary to Goop’s advice, shoving a large egg made out of a porous mineral into the recesses of your lady-regions may not be the best treatment for conditions like endometriosis. Who knew?
Apparently, Goop knew — or, according to a complaint filed by the California consumer protection office, Goop should have known before they marketed this product, as well as a “flower essence” they claimed treated depression, to consumers on their website. On Wednesday, the consumer production bureau inked a $145,000 settlement with Paltrow’s company.
“The health and money of Santa Clara County residents should never be put at risk by misleading advertising,” the agency’s attorney said in a statement. “We will vigilantly protect consumers against companies that promise health benefits without the support of good science … or any science.”
Goop responded by claiming that the lawsuit arose out of an “honest disagreement” about the eggs’ efficacy and that consumers should not take their settlement as proof that “vagina eggs” aren’t a magical cure for all of your lady problems.
“Goop 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,” the company said in its own statement.
Paltrow quit acting last year to preside over Goop empire, which offers a new series of controversial — and often bizarre — wellness products with every online issue. In addition to the jade and quartz “vagina eggs” (which are still available on Goop’s website for a cool $60 each — though with fewer claims of their health and wellness benefits), Paltrow’s company has been accused of selling vitamins for conditions that don’t actually exist and pushing “vaginal steams” for overall undercarriage health.
The site sells a variety of downright strange and overpriced items, from a solid gold vibrator to a do-it-yourself sage-based exorcism kit.
As funny as a solid gold vibrator is, though, critics say Paltrow runs the risk of doing real harm and that her company’s “recommendations,” which often aren’t backed up by scientific — or any — evidence, can do more harm than good.