Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner files suit over toy hamster that shares her name
A Fox News anchor has filed a lawsuit against Hasbro, claiming that a toy hamster produced by the company wrongfully appropriates her name and “distinctive persona.”
Harris Faulkner (the anchor) filed the lawsuit earlier this week in U.S. District Court in New Jersey.
At issue is Harris Faulkner (the toy hamster), which was part of Hasbro’s “Littlest Pet Shop” family of products, according to the court documents. The “Littlest Pet Shop” toys also feature characters such as Basil Featherstone, a peacock, and Fletcher von Trunk, an elephant, according to the company’s Web site.
“Hasbro’s manufacture, sale, and distribution of the Harris Faulkner Hamster Doll is extremely concerning and distressing to Faulkner,” the court documents state.
“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.”
The suit also notes that Faulker was “extremely distressed” to have her name attached to a potential choking hazard for young children, and states that the product harms the anchor’s journalistic credibility.
“Further, Hasbro’s portrayal of Faulkner as a rodent is demeaning and insulting,” it also states.
In an email to The Post, a Hasbro spokeswoman said that the company generally didn’t comment on litigation. She did, however, push back about safety concerns with the toy.
“The Littlest Pet Shop product identified, and all products in the Littlest Pet Shop line, meet and exceed all safety standards,” spokeswoman Julie Duffy said in the email.
Harris appears on “Fox Report Weekend,” as well as the program “Outnumbered.” She has been with Fox News Channel since 2005, according to her Fox biography.
In the court documents, she is described as a “uniquely named, acclaimed veteran journalist and author,” who has “worked for decades to establish and maintain her personal brand and laudable professional reputation.”
A message left with Faulkner’s attorney was not immediately returned, and a Fox spokeswoman did not immediately return an e-mail.
You can read the court documents here:
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