HOLLYWOOD (CelebrityAccess) – Mattel has found itself in hot water after accidentally printing the URL for a porn site on packaging for its special-edition dolls including Ariana Grande’s Glinda and Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba based on Universal Pictures’ upcoming Wicked movie. The misprinted web address, “wicked.com,” is owned by adult entertainment company Wicked Pictures, which saw a surge in traffic after the mistake.
According to Google Trends, searches for “wicked.com” have skyrocketed to levels not seen since 2012. The spike in activity follows media reports about Mattel’s packaging error, which affected dolls currently sold at major retailers like Target, Amazon, and Kohl’s.
In response to the situation, Mattel issued a statement apologizing for the misprint: “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. We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this.”
Parents are being advised to discard or obscure the incorrect website link, which Mattel clarified is not appropriate for children. The toy company also offered customer service support for those affected by the error.
While the Wicked movie’s official site, wickedmovie.com, has also seen a bump in search activity, Wicked Pictures continues to benefit from the misprint. The adult entertainment company, known for its parody films, was founded in 1993 and has a roster of well-known stars including Stormy Daniels.
See Mattel’s full apology below.
“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. We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this,” a spokesperson for the company told Variety.
“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.”