5 million in damages Mother sues Mattel over porn link on Barbie packaging
Toy manufacturer Mattel apologized to its customers after it accidentally printed a link to the porn site on the packaging. A lawsuit is now underway.
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- A mother is claiming damages from toy manufacturer Mattel because of an incorrect label on the packaging of Barbie dolls.
- An incorrect link leads to the website of a porn production company.
- Mattel apologizes and recalls the products in question.
- The dolls in question are now being auctioned off for three-figure sums.
A stupid mistake leads to a hefty civil lawsuit, which is not uncommon in the USA. The toy company Mattel brought Barbie dolls of the main characters Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) onto the market for the release of the movie "Wicked". However, the address of the film's website (wickedmovie.com) was not printed on the packaging, but that of the porn production company Wicked.
According to a class action lawsuit against Mattel, the URL led the daughter of a South Carolina shopper to the adult website, which had "nothing to do with the Wicked dolls".
The plaintiff claims that Mattel did not offer her a refund and that the typo caused her and her child "emotional distress," writes theIndependent. "These scenes were hardcore scenes full of pornographic images depicting sexual intercourse," the lawsuit states. And further: "The plaintiff's underage daughter immediately showed the photos to her mother and both were horrified by what they saw. Had Plaintiff known of such an inappropriate defect in the product, she would not have purchased it."
Wicked Barbies are auctioned off for three-figure sums
Mattel previously apologized to consumers in a statement: "Mattel was made aware of a printing error on the packaging of the Wicked collection dolls, which are sold primarily in the U.S. and should direct consumers to the official movie website." "We deeply regret this error and are taking immediate action to remedy the situation." The company advised consumers to "discard the product packaging or cover up the link."
The lawsuit seeks damages of at least $5 million for anyone in the United States who purchased "Wicked" dolls whose packaging contained the faulty link, Reuters writes. The recalled Wicked Barbies with the infamous packaging are now being auctioned off for three-digit sums.