TV anchor settles suit claiming Hasbro hamster toy violated her right of publicity
Image of the Hasbro toy “Harris Faulkner” from court documents.
Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner has settled her suit claiming a Hasbro hamster toy that shares her name violated her right to publicity.
Faulkner and Hasbro announced the settlement on Wednesday without disclosing any financial terms, report the Hollywood Reporter, LawNewz, Reuters and Deadline Hollywood. The announcement says the toy is no longer manufactured or sold by Hasbro.
Fox News anchorwoman Harris Faulkner.
“However, since there still may be ‘Harris Faulkner’ toys or packaging with the ‘Harris Faulkner’ name in the stream of commerce,” the announcement says, “Ms. Faulkner reiterates that she has not endorsed or approved this product.”
The settlement follows a federal judge’s decision in July allowing the lawsuit to continue.
Faulkner’s suit had claimed she didn’t consent to have her name or image associated with the sale of the toy, and that, as a journalist, she never endorses companies’ products. “Further, Hasbro’s portrayal of Faulkner as a rodent is demeaning and insulting,” Faulkner’s $5 million suit said.
Hasbro had contended the toy wasn’t named for Faulkner and didn’t look like her. No reasonable person could mistake the “inch-tall, cartoon-like plastic animal, which has no apparent gender or profession, or even clothing that might identify its gender or profession” for Faulkner, Hasbro’s motion to dismiss asserted.
