Adult Site Displayed on Toy Back... Angry US Parents File $7 Billion Lawsuit

Manufacturer's Mistake Prints Wrong Website Address
"No Refund Despite Company's Error," Mattel Faces Lawsuit

Mattel, a global toy company known for Barbie and Thomas & Friends, was sued by parents after accidentally printing the address of an adult website on a doll’s packaging. On the 3rd (local time), BBC and other foreign media reported that Holly Ricketson, who lives in South Carolina, USA, filed a civil lawsuit against Mattel on that day.

The packaging of the 'Wicked' doll released by Mattel shows an adult website address. X (X)

Previously, Mattel released dolls modeled after the two main characters, Elphaba and Glinda, ahead of the movie "Wicked." The controversy escalated when the packaging box of these dolls mistakenly printed the address of an adult website. Consumers who purchased the doll at the time shared on social media, "I bought a singing doll, but when I searched the website printed on the back of the packaging, an adult website message saying 'Only for those 18 and older' appeared." Other complaints included, "I went to Walmart today and saw an adult website printed on the doll," and "The person responsible for putting this on a doll box that children buy should be fired immediately."

Mattel acknowledged the printing error and apologized. They explained that they intended to provide the website for promoting the "Wicked" movie, 'WickedMovie,' but mistakenly omitted 'Movie' and printed the wrong address. At the time, Mattel confirmed, "We found incorrect printing on the packaging of dolls mainly sold in the United States," and urgently suspended sales of the dolls. They also urged consumers who had already purchased the dolls to cover the incorrectly printed address or dispose of the packaging immediately.

Ricketson, who filed the lawsuit, had also bought a Wicked doll for her daughter. The child accessed the website and showed her adult photos to Ricketson. She claimed that both she and her child experienced fear and mental distress after viewing the adult content. She further stated that if she had known about the company’s mistake, she would not have bought the doll, and that Mattel did not offer a refund despite the error. The lawsuit seeks at least $5 million (approximately 7 billion KRW) in damages for those who purchased the Wicked dolls with the printing error on the packaging. The main legal issue is whether Mattel sold an inappropriate product and violated California consumer protection laws.