By Jonathan Stempel
(Reuters) – Mattel was sued on Tuesday by a South Carolina mother for mistakenly putting a link to a pornographic website on packaging for dolls tied to the blockbuster movie “Wicked.”
In a proposed class action filed in federal court in Los Angeles, Holly Ricketson said she bought a “Wicked” doll for her daughter, who then visited an adult entertainment website through the link provided by the toymaker.
Ricketson said her daughter showed her hardcore photographs from the website and both were “horrified” by what they saw, suffering emotional distress.
The plaintiff said she would not have bought the doll had she known of the mistake, and Mattel has not offered refunds despite recalling the dolls on Nov. 11.
Mattel did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but has expressed regret for the error.
The El Segundo, California-based toymaker had intended to link purchasers to the WickedMovie.com website, not to a similarly named website for people at least 18 years old.
Mattel recommends the dolls for children aged 4 and up.
Tuesday’s lawsuit seeks at least $5 million of damages for anyone in the United States who bought “Wicked” dolls whose packaging included the errant link.
It accuses Mattel of negligence, selling products unfit for sale, and violating California consumer protection laws.
Other products from Mattel include Barbie and Hot Wheels.
“Wicked,” from Universal Pictures, stars Cynthia Arivo and Ariana Grande.
It has grossed $263.2 million in the United States and $360.3 million worldwide since its Nov. 22 release, according to Box Office Mojo.
The case is Ricketson v Mattel Inc (NASDAQ:MAT), U.S. District Court, Central District of California, No. 24-10389.
