‘Wicked’ Adult Website Error Leads to Mattel Lawsuit for $5 Million Compensation

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As a parent who has experienced the joy and excitement of watching my child unwrap a new toy on Christmas morning, I can only imagine the horror that Holly Ricketson felt when her daughter stumbled upon explicit content instead of the enchanting world of “Wicked.” Mattel’s mistake was not just a simple oversight; it was a grave lapse in judgment that put countless families at risk.

2023 was a banner year for Mattel due to the success of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and the subsequent increase in sales. The company seemed poised for another profitable year, as they were set to release dolls tied to the movie adaptation of an unnamed film. However, a significant blunder by the manufacturer caused a major issue: the website address of an adult entertainment site was inadvertently printed on millions of products, potentially ending up in the hands of children. To make matters worse, a parent has now filed a lawsuit against the toy company, alleging that her daughter was able to access the site and was deeply traumatized by the content she encountered there.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, Wicked experienced tremendous success and claimed the title of the largest Broadway adaptation ever within a week. This achievement has opened up an extremely profitable market for merchandise, ranging from clothing to games, and dolls modeled after the main characters, Elphaba and Glinda. For toy giant Mattel, this proved to be a lucrative venture prior to Christmas, but their triumph was marred by a significant blunder: inadvertently leaving out the word “movie” from the URL on the packaging of their dolls.

After Mattel apologized for an error and issued a warning to parents following its spread on social media, one parent wasn’t satisfied. Holly Ricketson, a mom from South Carolina, has filed a lawsuit (as reported by Reuters). She claims that her daughter visited the website printed on the doll’s packaging, hoping to learn about the fantasy musical, but instead encountered explicit adult content. This experience caused both her and her mother deep emotional distress.

What is the Wicked Lawsuit Asking For?

Ricketson has brought a lawsuit against Mattel in a federal court in Los Angeles, demanding at least $5 million in compensation for all affected customers across the country. The lawsuit alleges that Mattel was negligent and breached consumer protection laws by producing products that were unsuitable for their intended and marketed age-appropriate audience, claiming they were “tainted, useless, and unfit.

At the start of November, Mattel issued a recall for the problematic products they identified, as stated in their public announcement.

We’ve discovered an error on the packaging of our Mattel Wicked collection dolls, mainly sold in the U.S., which mistakenly directs consumers to a non-child-friendly website instead of the intended official WickedMovie.com landing page. We sincerely apologize for this oversight and are swiftly addressing the issue. Parents should be aware that the incorrect site is not suitable for children. If you’ve already purchased the product, we recommend either disposing of the packaging or covering the link. For more information, please contact Mattel Customer Service.

It’s quite possible that questions still need answering and this was indeed an unusual error, but it appears rather improbable that someone would receive $5 million in damages. If the case progresses, it might be that the maximum amount of compensation is drastically reduced.

Currently, “Wicked” is dominating cinema earnings, grossing over $360 million in less than a week and aiming for a spot among the top 10 movies of the year. As the initial installment of Jon M. Chu’s fantastic adaptation, there’s a strong possibility that next year’s “Wicked – Part 2” will be even more successful. Fingers crossed that next year’s Mattel toys inspired by this movie have better attention to detail in their packaging.

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2024-12-04 01:05