Harris Faulkner sues Hasbro over same-named toy hamster
Faulkner sued Hasbro Inc. this week in U.S. District Court in New Jersey for “creating, manufacturing, and distributing for sale a plastic toy hamster named ‘Harris Faulkner'” as part of its “Pet Pawsabilities” toy line.
Lawyers for Faulkner — a six-time Emmy Award-winner who anchors “Fox News Weekend” for the news channel — said Hasbro’s inches-tall plastic hamster with a butterfly hat “willfully and wrongfully appropriated Faulkner’s unique and valuable name and distinctive persona for its own financial gain.”
Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner sues Hasbro over same-named toy hamster
The suit says:
“In addition to its prominent and unauthorized use of Faulkner’s name, elements of the Harris Faulkner Hamster Doll also bear a physical resemblance to Faulkner’s traditional professional appearance, in particular tone of its complexion, the shape of its eyes, and the design of its eye makeup.”
Faulkner, who appears on the news programs Fox Report and Outnumbered, is also “extremely distressed that her name has been wrongly associated with a plastic toy that is a known choking hazard that risks harming small children,” per the lawsuit.
Hasbro no longer sells the hamster toy, but a photograph submitted as evidence in the lawsuit allows for a side-by-side comparison:
A Hasbro spokesperson did not immediately respond to EW’s request for comment.
I fail to see the physical likeness.