Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Sues Tylenol — Why, and What Comes Next

If you weren't already exhausted by how often the pain reliever Tylenol has been in the news, surely this will leave you exasperated: Ken Paxton, the Attorney General for the state of Texas, is suing Tylenol over its alleged causation of autism in children. Seriously.

What are the nuances of the lawsuit, and what, exactly, is Paxton and the Texas administration aiming to accomplish? What would the payout be for winning such a lawsuit?

If your head is swirling, don't reach for a Tylenol just yet. Below, we'll clarify the details of the Texas Attorney General's lawsuit against Tylenol.

Continue reading to learn the wild details of the lawsuit, as well as why the leaders in the state of Texas are targeting Tylenol now.

According to a report in ABC News, Ken Paxton, the Attorney General for the state of Texas, sued the makers of Tylenol on the grounds that Tylenol's makers marketed the medication to pregnant women, despite the medication's alleged link (by the Trump Administration) to the causation of autism in children.

"Big Pharma betrayed America by profiting off of pain and pushing pills regardless of the risks," Paxton said in a statement, per the ABC News report. "These corporations lied for decades, knowingly endangering millions to line their pockets. ... By holding Big Pharma accountable for poisoning our people, we will help Make America Healthy Again."

In response to Paxton's lawsuit, the company that makes Tylenol noted that it is "deeply concerned by the perpetuation of misinformation on the safety of acetaminophen and the potential impact that could have on the health of American women and children."

"We will defend ourselves against these baseless claims and respond per the legal process," according to the Tylenol maker's statement. "We stand firmly with the global medical community that acknowledges the safety of acetaminophen and believe we will continue to be successful in litigation as these claims lack legal merit and scientific support."

For what it's worth, not all politicians are in support of Paxton's baseless allegations against Tylenol. As ABC News reports, Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, who serves as Chair of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee, stated there is no relationship between Tylenol use in pregnant mothers and the causation of autism or ADHD in children.

The evidence, Sen. Cassidy said, is weak between the two, and the lawsuit should therefore be thrown out.

According to a report in The New York Times, Kenvue is the owner and maker of Tylenol. In 2023, Kenvue became its own business after being spun off from its parent company, Johnson & Johnson.

According to a news release on the Kenvue website in response to the Trump Administration's claims linking Tylenol use to autism, "We believe we will continue to be successful in litigation as the claims lack legal merit and scientific support."