Revlon Faces Hair Relaxer Cancer Claims as Bankruptcy Nears End

Revlon Inc. is grappling with a rising variety of allegations that a few of its hair merchandise trigger most cancers because the cosmetics firm seems to be to exit Chapter 11 chapter.

1000’s of shoppers are alleging Revlon owes them cash as a result of they used the corporate’s hair relaxer merchandise and later developed most cancers. However a deadline to formally lodge such claims in opposition to the bankrupt firm elapsed in October — simply after the Nationwide Institutes of Well being printed a examine displaying a correlation between some chemical hair relaxers and uterine most cancers.

On Tuesday, Revlon’s chapter decide prolonged the deadline by which prospects with sure sorts of most cancers can file claims in opposition to the corporate. They now have till April 11, which may also enable them to vote on the bankrupt firm’s restructuring plan later this month.

“What we’ve bought right here in my opinion is a mass tort within the making,” mentioned Sander Esserman, an legal professional who spoke on behalf of varied most cancers claimant teams throughout the Tuesday chapter listening to. “It’s a dynamic state of affairs, and there’ll little doubt be many circumstances sooner or later as they proceed to market and the ladies develop numerous types of cancers which are contestable.”

Robert Britton, an legal professional representing Revlon, mentioned the corporate disputes any hyperlink between most cancers and its hair relaxer merchandise. He added that the exponential progress of claims in a matter of weeks means that extra vetting of the claimants is likely to be wanted.

A consultant for Revlon declined to remark.

Though U.S. Chapter Decide David S. Jones acknowledged most so-called mass torts enable for greater than only a month for impacted prospects to file claims, he mentioned he didn’t have a lot of a selection. “It’s the conundrum we face and I don’t suppose it may be blown up at this late date,” he mentioned, referring to prolonging the corporate’s probably exit from chapter by pushing the deadline even additional.

The NIH examine printed in October checked out information from almost 33,500 girls adopted for 11 years and located that those that often used hair straightening merchandise — about 60% of which had been Black girls — had been greater than twice as more likely to develop uterine most cancers in comparison with those that didn’t. It was printed a couple of week earlier than the deadline to file claims in Revlon’s chapter.

Revlon — which buckled below a heavy debt load final 12 months — not too long ago settled disputes amongst two warring lender factions, clearing a path to exit from chapter and hold working. Its restructuring plan requires reducing debt, elevating new cash and handing possession of the corporate to its lenders.

In current weeks, the variety of hair relaxer claims has grown considerably, with tons of arriving every day, in response to Esserman. Different main magnificence corporations, like L’Oréal USA Inc., have confronted related fits for the reason that NIH printed its report.

The chapter is Revlon Inc., 22-10760, US Chapter Courtroom for the Southern District of New York.

By Amelia Pollard

Study extra:

What Went Wrong at Revlon

It was a sluggish decline for the 90-year-old firm, which discovered itself crippled by large debt, a pandemic, provide chain points and rising competitors from start-up manufacturers altering magnificence beliefs and tradition.