Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner poses for a photo on a set in New York earlier this year. (Richard Drew/AP Photo)
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.
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