NEW BRUNSWICK, New Jersey (Michigan News Source) – Back in 2017, Tylenol’s Twitter account posted a shocker: “We actually don’t recommend using any of our products while pregnant. Thank you for taking the time to voice your concerns today.” This was posted as a response to another tweet.
Straightforward enough, right? Not quite. Fast-forward to today, and that single tweet has turned into a corporate hot potato that no one wants to claim.
J&J: Not our problem.
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Michigan News Source contacted Johnson & Johnson (J&J), which owned Tylenol in 2017, for comment. The company’s response was polite but firm: speak with Kenvue. Their company spokesperson said, “Johnson & Johnson divested its consumer health business years ago, and all rights and liabilities associated with the sale of its over-the-counter products, including Tylenol (acetaminophen), are owned by Kenvue.”
Michigan News Source followed up with another email to J&J, pointing out that it was Johnson & Johnson who owned Tylenol in 2017 when the tweet was posted and asked who was responsible for approving the post. They didn’t respond.
The timeline:
In 1959, Johnson & Johnson acquired McNeil Laboratories, which owned the Tylenol brand. In 2021, J&J announced plans to spin off its Consumer Health division, including Tylenol, into a separate company. This entity, named Kenvue, became an independent public company in 2023, carrying with it consumer brands like Tylenol.
Kenvue: the new keeper of the brand.
So, we did as instructed and reached out to Kenvue, the new owner of Tylenol. After all, J&J handed off both the brand – and the buck. The question: Does Kenvue stand by that former tweet suggesting pregnant women avoid Tylenol altogether, or do they want to clarify?
While Kenvue didn’t get back to us with an answer, Melissa Witt, a global media relations leader at Kenvue, told Newsweek in an email statement: “This eight-year-old consumer response is incomplete and did not address our full guidance on the safe use of Tylenol which has not changed.”
Her statement went on to say, “Acetaminophen is the safest pain reliever option for pregnant women as needed throughout their entire pregnancy.”
Kenvue in harmony with Trump’s HHS.
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But then she also added, “We recommend pregnant women do not take any over-the-counter medication, including acetaminophen, without talking to their doctor first.”
This aligns with guidance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as reported in our article yesterday that pregnant women should consult with their doctor before taking the medication.
In the end, the saga of a single 2017 tweet shows how a few words on social media can echo years later, leaving consumers stuck in a game of corporate dodgeball. J&J points to Kenvue, Kenvue insists nothing has changed, and pregnant women are left trying to parse corporate, media and political spin in search of real answers.
