Toy company Mattel is facing a lawsuit from a mother who claims her daughter accessed an adult website through a link on the packaging of a Wicked doll. The dolls, based on characters portrayed by British actress Cynthia Erivo and American singer Ariana Grande in the film adaptation of the popular musical, were released by Mattel. Instead of displaying the address for the movie’s official website, the packaging mistakenly included a link to an adult site with a similar name. The error was discovered last month, leading to a recall of the dolls on November 11. A class action lawsuit has been filed in a federal court in Los Angeles.
According to court documents, Holly Ricketson from South Carolina purchased a doll for her daughter, who then accessed explicit content via the incorrect link. Ms. Ricketson stated that both she and her daughter were shocked by the material they encountered, which caused them emotional distress. She mentioned that she would not have purchased the doll if she had been aware of the mistake and claimed that Mattel had not provided a refund despite recalling the affected dolls. The lawsuit describes the error on the doll’s packaging as “inexcusable.”
Mattel has chosen not to comment on the litigation but has issued a statement indicating that sales of the Wicked dolls with correct packaging have resumed both in stores and online. When the error was first identified, the California-based toy manufacturer expressed its “deep regret” over the misprint, stating it was “not appropriate for children” and emphasizing that the intended destination for the link was the WickedMovie.com page.
The lawsuit aims to secure at least $5 million in damages for any U.S. consumers who purchased the Wicked dolls with the faulty packaging. It accuses Mattel of negligence, selling unsuitable products, and breaching California consumer protection laws.