There’s a saying: “Imitation is the best form of flattery.” It’s also the best way to get paid. Cha-ching. FOX anchor Harris Faulkner sued Hasbro for their toy hamster that bore a striking resemblance and carried her name. Hasbro says the hamster was not named after her nor did it look like her. But they still settled. Strange!
Faulkner, the anchor, launched the lawsuit in September 2015. The “Outnumbered” host claimed the plastic rodent, which was part of the company’s Littlest Pet Shop, wrongfully appropriated her name and persona, harmed her credibility as a journalist and was an insult. Harris Faulkner, the inch tall plastic hamster, was a sidekick to a terrier named Benson Detwyler. Harris Faulkner the toy is no longer being sold or in production.
The anchor accuses Hasbro of swagger-jacking her complexion, eye shape and eye makeup design. According to the original complaint, it was noted in court filings,“Faulkner is extremely distressed that her name has been wrongly associated with a plastic toy that is a known choking hazard that risks harming small children. Further, Hasbro’s portrayal of Faulkner as a rodent is demeaning and insulting.”
In a statement, Faulkner and Hasbro said the lawsuit was “settled amicably.”
“The ‘Harris Faulkner’ toy is no longer manufactured or sold by Hasbro,” the statement read. “However, since there still may be ‘Harris Faulkner’ toys or packaging with the ‘Harris Faulkner’ name in the stream of commerce, Ms. Faulkner reiterates that she has not endorsed or approved this product.”
The six-time Emmy Award-winning anchor has worked at FOX for more than a decade. She previously worked in Minnesota for ABC affiliate KSTP-TV and hosted “The Harris Faulkner Show” on FM107 Radio.
In the 1990s, she was the primary evening anchor for WDAF-TV in Kansas City, Missouri.
Neither party indicated how much.
