Mattel sued over 'Wicked' dolls packaging that included adult website link
Mattel was hit with a class action lawsuit after dolls which the toy company created in partnership with the new Universal Pictures film "Wicked" were released in packaging that included the address for a pornographic website.
Per legal documents filed on Tuesday, a woman in South Carolina is suing Mattel after she purchased a "Wicked" doll for her minor daughter.
The dolls, which are replications of the movie musical's stars, are special edition items released on Nov. 11 ahead of the movie's debut in theaters on Nov. 22.
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The lawsuit claimed that the woman's daughter visited the website printed on the back of the toy's packaging. The official website for the film, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, is "wickedmovie.com."
The court documents stated that the woman's daughter was "shocked" to discover that the website on the packaging "had nothing to do with the Wicked Doll" and instead she viewed "scenes of pornographic advertisements across her phone screen."
According to the court documents, the scenes were "hardcore, full on nude pornographic images depicting actual intercourse."
The lawsuit continued, "Plaintiff’s minor daughter immediately showed her mother the photographs and both were horrified by what they saw. If plaintiff had been aware of such an inappropriate defect in the product, she would not have purchased it."
The documents alleged that though Mattel had issued a recall for the products on Nov. 11, no refund had been offered to the customers who purchased the dolls.
The plaintiff claimed that she and her daughter had "experienced emotional distress" due to the error on the doll's packaging.
"Plaintiff seeks to recover damages because the Products are adulterated, worthless, and unfit for its intended and advertised age-appropriate audience," the lawsuit stated.
A representative for Mattel declined to comment on the pending litigation, but did share a statement that read, "The Wicked Dolls have returned for sale with correct packaging at retailers online and in stores to meet the strong consumer demand for the products."
The statement continued, "The previous misprint on the packaging in no way impacts the value or play experience provided by the product itself in the limited number of units sold before the correction. We express our gratitude to our consumers and retailers for their understanding and patience while we worked to remedy the issue."
On Nov. 10, Fox News Digital reported that the adult site URL was printed on the back of the packaging for more than one Mattel doll.
The link directs to a page that requires people to be 18 years or older to enter. The dolls, which were sold at retailers such as Target, Kohls and Amazon, advertised that the toy is acceptable for children over the age of 4, but is a choking hazard for those under 3 years of age.
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In a statement given to Fox News Digital at the time, Mattel expressed their regret for what they called an "unfortunate error."
"Mattel was made aware of a misprint on the packaging of the Mattel Wicked collection dolls, primarily sold in the U.S., which intended to direct consumers to the official WickedMovie.com landing page. We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this. Parents are advised that the misprinted, incorrect website is not appropriate for children. Consumers who already have the product are advised to discard the product packaging or obscure the link and may contact Mattel Customer Service for further information."
On Nov. 12, USA Today reported that the dolls had been pulled from the shelves in stores and were no longer available to purchase online at major retailers.
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Other "Wicked" inspired toys, manufactured by Lego and Funko, do not include the adult site's address.
A big screen adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical of the same name, "Wicked" has become a major hit, raking in more than $359.3 million at the global box office since its release.
Fox News Digital's Caroline Thayer contributed to this report.