Children’s toy manufacturer Mattel has apologized for a misprint on boxes of some of its new dolls, which mistakenly directed buyers to a pornographic website.
Instead of linking to the official site of the movie adaptation of “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, the web address on the packages was for an adult film site called Wicked Pictures, according to social media users.
“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 in a statement on Sunday.
“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,” it said.
Customers who noticed the error shared images of the toy boxes on social media, while Mattel advised buyers who already had the product to discard the packaging or “obscure the link.”
Mattel did not specify whether it had removed unsold products with the incorrect URL from stores, but according to the AP, some of the “Wicked” dolls were no longer available at retailers such as Amazon, Target and Mattel’s as of Monday.
Other media reports pointed out that Mattel’s mishap has caused a spike in traffic for Wicked Pictures, the adult-entertainment company that owns the mistakenly printed web address.
Wicked Pictures “was formed with a firm commitment to producing quality parody porn movies,” including spoofs on Marvel’s “Black Widow” and “Captain Marvel,” according to its website. The company says it “showcases some of the top-rated female porn stars” such as Stormy Daniels, known for her legal entanglement with US President-elect Donald Trump.