Goop Agrees to Pay $145,000 for ‘Unsubstantiated’ Claims About Vaginal Eggs

Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle brand, Goop, has agreed to pay $145,000 in civil penalties in a settlement in California after an investigation found its claims about some of the products it sells were not backed by scientific evidence, the Orange County district attorney’s office said.

The settlement involved three products that Goop had promised would deliver medical benefits. Two items were “eggs” for vaginal wellness — one made of jade and another made of quartz — that the company said would balance hormones, increase bladder control and regulate menstrual cycles. Goop said the third item, Inner Judge Flower Essence Blend, “could help prevent depression,” according to the district attorney’s office.

The settlement came after an investigation by the California Food, Drug, and Medical Device Task Force, which is made up of prosecutors from 10 counties.

“The claims have the potential to affect women’s health,” Tony Rackauckas, the Orange County district attorney, said in a statement. “It’s important to hold companies accountable for unsubstantiated claims.”

The company said it believed there was an “honest disagreement” about the claims it made about the products.

“This settlement does not indicate any liability on Goop’s part,” said Heather Wilson, a Goop spokeswoman. “The company has not received any complaints regarding these product claims.”

The Orange County district attorney’s office said it had received no reports of injuries or adverse health effects connected to the three products. Goop said it settled solely because of the advertising claims and not because the items were defective.

The eggs are still available for sale on Goop’s website — the jade egg for $66 and the rose quartz one for $55 — but the flower essence blend has been removed. Wilson said the removal was unrelated to the settlement.

Goop has also changed its website’s description of the eggs to “ensure compliance,” with the settlement, Wilson said, adding that the company has sold 3,000 of them so far.

The company has faced ridicule from gynecologists for its claims about the eggs.

Now, under the settlement, it is “barred 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,” Rackauckas’ office said.

Goop, which turns 10 years old this year, says it “provides a forum for practitioners to present their views and experiences with various products like the jade egg,” said Erica Moore, Goop’s chief financial officer.

She added, “The law, though, sometimes views statements like this as advertising claims.”