A packaging error has turned into a lawsuit. Last month, Mattel released licensed Wicked dolls to coincide with the newly released film. On the package was an incorrectly printed URL that, rather than leading consumers to the official Wicked website, instead directed them to a hardcore adult site.
Despite Mattel releasing an official statement and pulling the affected products from shelves, one customer has filed a lawsuit against the toy company, Variety reports. The woman says that she and her daughter suffered “emotional distress” after they visited the site in error. She also claims that Mattel did not offer a refund for the purchased doll. “If plaintiff had been aware of such an inappropriate defect in the product, she would not have purchased it,” reads a snippet from the lawsuit. Read the full story at Variety.
After the initial incident, Mattel released a statement saying that they “deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this. Parents are advised that the misprinted, incorrect website is not appropriate for children. Consumers who already have the product are advised to discard the product packaging or obscure the link and may contact Mattel Customer Service for further information.” The full lineup of Mattel Wicked dolls includes Elphaba, Glinda, and Nessarose.
Wicked is currently in theaters and has broken records as the highest-grossing movie based on a Broadway musical in the U.S. The movie stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande as Glinda, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Ethan Slater as Boq, and Marissa Bode as Nessarose. The first part was released on November 22, 2024, with Part Two hitting theaters on November 21, 2025.
