Mattel was sued Tuesday by a South Carolina mother for accidentally placing a link to a pornographic website on the packaging of a doll named after the hit movie “Wicked.”
In a proposed class action lawsuit filed in federal court in Los Angeles, Holly Ricketson said she bought a Wicked doll for her daughter and then accessed an adult entertainment website through a link provided by the toy manufacturer. said.
Mr Ricketson said his daughter showed him hardcore pictures from a website and they were both “horrified” by the sights and suffered emotional distress.
The plaintiffs say they would not have bought the dolls if they had known of the mistake, and Mattel has not issued a refund despite recalling the dolls on Nov. 11.
Mattel declined to comment on the lawsuit, but said in a statement that sales of Wicked dolls with the correct packaging have resumed in stores and online. The company expressed its regret for the mistake.
The El Segundo, California-based toy maker intended to link buyers to the WickedMovie.com website instead of a similarly named website for people 18 and older.
Mattel recommends dolls for children ages 4 and up.
Tuesday's lawsuit seeks at least $5 million in damages for people in the United States who purchased Wicked dolls whose packaging contained false links.
The lawsuit accuses Mattel of negligence, selling unfit products and violating California consumer protection laws.
