Toy company Mattel is facing a lawsuit for its controversial Wicked toy line after a misprinted link on the back of a box directed children to an obscene graphic adult website.
Last month, Mattel released merchandise for the box office smash film Wicked. This included a series of dolls marketed to little girls. However, the website marked on the packaging was not for the movie, but an explicit film company that shares the name Wicked.
The toy line for the new Wicked movie directs to p*rn… 😮‼️ pic.twitter.com/6Hm2KQpARf
— DramaAlert (@DramaAlert) November 10, 2024
READ: Mattel Apologizes For ‘Wicked’ Movie Doll ‘Misprint’ That Directed Children To Graphic Website
Following the outrage and controversy this caused, Mattel was quick to apologize and recall its products.
“Mattel was made aware of a misprint on the packaging of the Mattel Wicked collection dolls, primarily sold in the U.S., which intended to direct consumers to the official WickedMovie.com landing page,” the company said in a statement. “We 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.”
A Screenshot of Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in the Wicked Movie Trailer, YouTube – Universal Pictures
READ: ‘Wicked’ Merchandise Mistake Sends Children to Graphic, Unintended Website
Though apparently the company’s actions weren’t quick enough…
A mother who purchased the misprinted Wicked dolls has filed a lawsuit against Mattel.
The woman claims she’s suing Mattel for the “emotional distress” the misprinting caused both her and her young daughter. It’s unclear whether the child was supervised or aware of the explicit content the doll’s packaging led to. Though from South Carolina, she filed the lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles on December 3, 2024.
This is likely due to Mattel being headquartered in California. The state also has stricter retail laws.
A Screenshot of Ariana Grande From the Wicked Movie Trailer, YouTube – Universal Pictures
Mattel made no response to the lawsuit directly, but instead addressed the products themselves.
Their statement was as follows:
“The Wicked Dolls have returned for sale with correct packaging at retailers online and in stores to meet the strong consumer demand for the products. The previous misprint on the packaging in no way impacts the value or play experience provided by the product itself in the limited number of units sold before the correction.”
It is unclear whether any refunds were issued for toys with the misprinted packaging.
The exterior of the Wicked Merchandise store at Universal Studios Orlando – Photo Credit: M. Montanaro
Thus far, the movie itself remains unaffected by these events.
Wicked, the Universal film based on the hit Broadway musical of the same name, is an origin story for classic characters from The Wizard of Oz. The film made $114 million its first weekend in theaters and earned an additional $80 million this past weekend. It has a global box office total of more than $360 million.
This is an impressive feat considering it continues to face tough competition from blockbuster sequels like Gladiator 2 and Moana 2.
The story of Wicked isn’t canon to the original works of L. Frank Baum, which kicked off in 1900 in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It was actually written and published long after Baum had died. Some Wicked fans only know of the classic movie, The Wizard of Oz, and not the book, nor author, that inspired it.
Do you think this entire debacle be the ghost of L. Frank Baum announcing his displeasure with Wicked? Or is the woman suing Mattel simply after a bit of money? Will she succeed? Sound off and let us know!
Raven Redgrave, also known as WritingRaven, is an accomplished professional writer and co-host of the Gothic Therapy YouTube Channel with her husband MasterOfTheTDS. Subscribe to their channel for more!
Hey Raven! Great to see you writing for this place.
We’re thrilled to have her!
Those teeth remind me of two Family Guy skits involving Steve Buscemi and the other, Ron Howard’s brother. Each centered on their teeth being rogue, and goofy.
Gotta love how they somehow manage to keep lowering the bar each time.
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This is 100% a fake lawsuit. 1) Why are you letting your child navigate their way online? 2) Who would use the box to get to the Wicked movie website instead of just using a search engine? 3) What kid even keeps/looks at the box when they get a new toy, let alone starts going to websites listed there? 4) This kid better have a late November birthday because if not, why wouldn’t you give this to your kid on Christmas or Hanukkah?