Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop sued because of allegedly exploding ‘vagina’ candles

‘We’re confident this claim is frivolous and an attempt to secure an outsized payout,’ Goop says

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow’s company Goop has been sued because one of their so-called “vagina” candles allegedly exploded.

The class-action lawsuit was launched by a man who says he bought the $75 “This smells like my vagina” scented candle, claiming it could have ended his life when it exploded.

The company said in a statement to media outlets: “We’re confident this claim is frivolous and an attempt to secure an outsized payout from a press-heavy product. We stand behind the brands we carry and the safety of the products we sell. Here, Heretic—the brand that supplies the candle— has substantiated the product’s performance and safety through industry-standard testing.”

The Texas man says the candle “exploded” in his bedroom. The class-action complaint was filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California and demands payment for those who have “through no fault of their own, purchased defective and dangerous vagina-scented candles”.

The plaintiff, Colby Watson, says he bought the candle on 14 January 2021 via the Goop website. He claims in the complaint that he lit the candle on 6 February on his bedroom nightstand. He added that it had become “engulfed in high flames” about three hours later. He said the room was filled with smoke and that the nightstand was left with a black ring on it.

While the jar the candle was in was charred, it didn’t break despite reportedly exploding.

Jody Thompson, 50, of north London, wrote for The Guardian in a piece published on 19 March 2021 that “all hell was unleashed” on the second night she lit the candle.

“A few minutes after I lit the candle, it exploded. Flames roared half a metre out of the jar and bits of molten wax flew out as it fizzed and spat. We couldn’t get near it to blow it out as the flames were so ferocious, and we didn’t want to throw water on it for fear of splashing molten wax everywhere. Luckily, I had placed it on concrete, at the base of what was once a fireplace,” Ms Thompson wrote.

She added: “After what seemed like an age, but was probably no more than five minutes, the flames subsided and I could blow the candle out. The charred jar and melted label were testament to how hot it had become.”

A warning on the candle says not to burn the candle for more than two hours each time it’s used. Mr Watson said in the legal filing that the warning is not enough. Calling the candles “inherently dangerous,” he said the company has failed to warn consumers that the candles could cause injuries.

The complaint claims that Goop “knew that the candles were defective” and argues that Mr Watson and others “experienced and/or will experience significant damages, including but not limited to mental anguish and/or physical injuries, loss of the use of their candles, time spent seeking to have their candles replaced, and money lost on the purchase of new, safe candles”.

The complaint asks for a trial with a jury, triple compensation, and punitive damages.

When reached byThe Independent, a Goop spokesperson declined to go beyond the company’s initial statement.