Mattel misprints porn website link on its 'Wicked' dolls, thousands pulled from shelves

Global toy company Mattel has found itself at the center of a controversy after a printing error on its “Wicked” doll packaging linked to a pornographic website instead of the official movie site. Following the glaring error, Mattel issued an apology and pulled thousands of the dolls from shelves across the US to prevent further exposure to young customers.

The error was flagged by concerned parents and social media users on X, who noted that instead of leading to details about the highly anticipated film, the link brings up a page restricted to audiences aged 18 and above.

In a statement to media houses on Sunday, the company apologised for the error.

“Mattel was made aware of a misprint on the packaging of the Mattel Wicked collection dolls, primarily sold in the US, which intended to direct consumers to the official WickedMovie.com landing page,” the company said.

The statement continued, “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.”
The misstep has not only led to a backlash from parents but has also raised concerns about quality control lapses in packaging. In a further effort to mitigate the issue, Mattel advised those who have already purchased the dolls to either discard the box or obscure the misprinted link to prevent unintended exposure. The company has also pulled back thousands of the dolls from the shelves at Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Macy’s and Amazon.