Harris Faulkner says the hamster – part of Hasbro's "Pet Pawsabilities" toy line – wrongfully appropriates her name and persona, harms her professional credibility as a journalist and is an insult.
She filed a lawsuit against the Rhode Island-based company Monday in a US District Court in New Jersey, where she lives.
"Hasbro's manufacture, sale, and distribution of the Harris Faulkner Hamster Doll is extremely concerning and distressing to Faulkner. Further, Hasbro's portrayal of Faulkner as a rodent is demeaning and insulting,” states the suit.
Faulkner, six-time Emmy Award-winner, hosts Fox's daytime show "Outnumbered" and anchors a Sunday evening newscast.
Not only is the toy named after Faulkner, but the plastic hamster also looks like the 49-year-old news anchor, the suit alleges.
The toy has 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 goes on to complain that packaging for the toy warns in capital letters that Harris Faulkner is a "CHOKING HAZARD."
Hasbro no longer sells the toy, but the complaint alleges Hasbro kept it on its site for months after Faulkner put the company "on notice" earlier this year. The suit also claims the toy can still be purchased through Amazon and other online venues.
