Mattel was sued Tuesday by a South Carolina mother for mistakenly putting a link to a pornographic site on the packaging of dolls related to the hit movie “Wicked.”
In a proposed class-action lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court, Holly Ricketson says she purchased a “Wicked” doll for her daughter, who then visited an adult entertainment site through the link provided by the toy maker.
Ms Ricketson said her daughter showed her photos of stronger sex taken from the website and both were “horrified” by what they saw, which caused them emotional distress.
The plaintiff said she would not have purchased the doll if she had known of the error, and Mattel has not offered a refund despite recalling the dolls on November 11.
Mattel did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but expressed regret for the error.
The El Segundo, Calif.-based toy maker intended to refer buyers to the website WickedMovie.com, not a similarly named website aimed at people 18 and older.
Mattel recommends these dolls for children ages 4 and up.
The lawsuit filed Tuesday seeks at least $5 million in damages for anyone who purchased “Wicked” dolls in the United States whose packaging included the erroneous link.
She accuses Mattel of negligence, selling unfit products and violating California consumer protection laws.
Other Mattel products include Barbie and Hot Wheels.
Universal Pictures’ “Wicked” stars Cynthia Arivo and Ariana Grande.
It has grossed $263.2 million in the United States and $360.3 million worldwide since its November 22 release, according to Box Office Mojo.
L’affaire est Ricketson v Mattel Inc, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, No. 24-10389.
