Mattel sued over 'Wicked' dolls with porn website link
Tweet
Share
E-mail
FILE PHOTO: The Mattel company logo is pictured at the entrance of the Montoi plant in the municipality of Escobedo, Mexico March 15, 2022. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril/File Photo
By Jonathan Stempel
(Reuters) -Mattel was sued on Tuesday by a South Carolina mother for mistakenly putting a link to a pornographic website on packaging for dolls tied to the blockbuster movie "Wicked."
In a proposed class action filed in federal court in Los Angeles, Holly Ricketson said she bought a "Wicked" doll for her daughter, who then visited an adult entertainment website through the link provided by the toymaker.
Ricketson said her daughter showed her hardcore photographs from the website and both were "horrified" by what they saw, suffering emotional distress.
The plaintiff said she would not have bought the doll had she known of the mistake, and Mattel has not offered refunds despite recalling the dolls on Nov. 11.
Mattel declined to comment on the lawsuit, but said in a statement that sales of "Wicked" dolls with correct packaging have resumed in stores and online. It has expressed regret for the error.
The El Segundo, California-based toymaker had intended to link purchasers to the WickedMovie.com website, not to a similarly named website for people at least 18 years old.
Mattel recommends the dolls for children aged 4 and up.
Tuesday's lawsuit seeks at least $5 million of damages for anyone in the United States who bought "Wicked" dolls whose packaging included the errant link.
It accuses Mattel of negligence, selling products unfit for sale, and violating California consumer protection laws.
Other products from Mattel include Barbie and Hot Wheels.
"Wicked," from Universal Pictures, stars Cynthia Arivo and Ariana Grande.
It has grossed $263.2 million in the United States and $360.3 million worldwide since its Nov. 22 release, according to Box Office Mojo.
The case is Ricketson v Mattel Inc, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, No. 24-10389.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Muralikumar Anantharaman)
Serious News for Serious Traders! Try StreetInsider.com Premium Free!
You May Also Be Interested In
- Russia arrests nine for planned attacks, espionage on behalf of Ukraine, state agencies report
- Killing of Guinea-Bissau rapper sends opposition underground
- Second poll shows Swiss likely to reject tighter neutrality
Create E-mail Alert Related Categories
ReutersSign up for StreetInsider Free!
Receive full access to all new and archived articles, unlimited portfolio tracking, e-mail alerts, custom newswires and RSS feeds - and more!
