A lawsuit filed by Holly Ricketson highlights an unfortunate misprint on Mattel's doll packaging, claiming negligence and demanding $5 million in damages after her daughter accessed inappropriate content.
Mother Files Lawsuit Against Mattel Over Doll Packaging Error Tied to Porn Site
Mother Files Lawsuit Against Mattel Over Doll Packaging Error Tied to Porn Site
South Carolina mother claims emotional distress after discovering pornographic website address on doll packaging intended for children.
In a striking legal case, a mother from South Carolina has initiated a lawsuit against the toy giant Mattel following a printing error on the packaging of a doll. The incident arose when the company launched a series of singing dolls last month in conjunction with the film adaptation of Wicked, featuring stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
Mattel has acknowledged the mistake, describing it as an "unfortunate error," and has since issued a recall of the affected dolls. Holly Ricketson alleges that her purchase, intended as a gift for her daughter, led to an unexpected and disturbing encounter with an adult entertainment website linked via the misprinted address.
According to the lawsuit, Ricketson's daughter stumbled upon a site displaying "hardcore, full-on nude pornographic images", which understandably left both mother and daughter "horrified". Her legal team claims that this incident has caused emotional distress, marking the error as an "inexcusable" fault that renders the dolls "unfit for their intended purpose."
The court documents also reveal that Ricketson is seeking $5 million in damages for any other purchasers impacted by this misprint in the United States. Ricketson has indicated that she would not have purchased the doll had she been aware of the misprint, asserting that her family deserves restitution for the distress caused. Additionally, the lawsuit accuses Mattel of negligence, violation of California consumer protection laws, and failing to remedy the situation with refunds, despite acknowledging the error.
The film adaptation of Wicked, which revolves around the backstory of the Wicked Witch of the West, premiered in the U.S. and UK on November 22 and has received a positive reception, accumulating significant box office earnings. Mattel has yet to release further comments on the lawsuit as of this report.
