Author: sarahdiewald

When Triumph Is Overshadowed

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It was August 20th in Sydney, Australia. The Spanish women’s team had just defeated England and won the 2023 World Cup in Sydney. Just as the players received their medals, Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish soccer federation, grabbed Jenni Hermoso by the head and kissed her on the lips. Millions of viewers in front of television screens and inside the stadium witnessed the event. In the aftermath, Hermoso said the kiss had not been consensual, while Rubiales insisted otherwise.

The incident sparked outrage and triggered discussions about Spain’s enduring culture of machismo. Even those in the political sphere became involved, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez saying that the kiss had shown that „there is still a long way to go when it comes to equality between women and men.“

The Spanish women’s squad felt it was necessary to start a movement. Hermoso, her teammates and dozens of other players refused to play as long as Rubiales remained in charge. The strike only ended weeks later, after an agreement was brokered to overhaul protocols and give more support to the women’s team.

What Rubiales chose to say

Rubiales had been expected to step down from his position amid the swift and powerful wave of criticism for his conduct at the final, which also included him grabbing his crotch with Spain’s Queen Letizia and her teenage daughter, Princess Sofía, nearby. Rubiales still remained defiant though, even decrying the criticism as a „witch-hunt“ driven by „false feminists“. The day after this remark, FIFA temporarily suspended Rubiales and opened a disciplinary case against him. Simultaneously the Spanish government started a motion to have him ruled unfit to hold his office. And to top it off, Hermoso and Spanish state prosecutors formally accused Rubiales of sexual assault and coercion.

And thus, after three weeks of resisting pressure, Rubiales finally resigned in September 2023.

In court Rubiales has stated that he was „absolutely sure“ that Hermoso had given her consent before he kissed her. According to him, the kiss was „something completely spontaneous“ and an „act of affection.“ He insisted that the kiss was akin to one „I could give one of my daughters.“

Rubiales’ lawyers argued, meanwhile, that even if the kiss hadn’t been consensual, it shouldn’t be characterized as sexual assault.

The only instance of Rubiales showing anything resembling penitence during his testimony came when he said that he regretted the kiss since it wasn’t the right attitude for a national federation president.

The Gavel Comes Down

On February 20, 2025, Spain’s former football federation boss Luis Rubiales was found guilty of sexual assault for kissing Jenni Hermoso without her consent. Spain’s High Court also ordered Rubiales to pay a fine of €10,800.

The court added in a statement that Rubiales is banned from going within a 200 m radius of Hermoso. Finally, he is not allowed to contact her for a year.

Rubiales was acquitted of coercion, however. It had been alleged that he tried to pressure Hermoso into downplaying the kiss during the awards ceremony after the final.

In June this year, Rubiales lost an appeal against his sexual assault conviction, after the court upheld the sentencing.

Her side of the story

Hermoso described Rubiales’ actions as an „impulse-driven, sexist out-of-place act without any consent.“ „My boss was kissing me, and this shouldn’t happen in any social or work setting“, she told the court. She went on to explain that the incident „stained one of the happiest days of my life“.

In her first public statement after the court ruling, Hermoso said that the guilty verdict sets an „important precedent“ for women’s rights. She closed her statement with „And now, it is over“ (Y ahora sí, se acabó) in reference to a phrase that gained popularity during the scandal, which meant „enough is enough“.

Hermoso now plays for the Mexican club Tigres Femenil after a long career in Europe.

Analysis of the Case

Rubiales’ communication after the incident was horrendous. His public statements destroyed any hope of him rehabilitating his image. He showed no shame, regret or empathy for his victim.

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A Wicked Mishap

A display of "Wicked"-themed Mattel dolls at a Target.
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Less than two weeks before the highly anticipated movie adaptation of the Broadway musical was set to hit theaters on the 22nd of November 2024 pictures of the dolls’ packaging began circulating on social media for unexpected reasons.

„Wicked Part I“ starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande is an adaptation of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical based on characters from „The Wizard of Oz“. The toy company Mattel partnered with Universal Pictures to create a doll collection which included fashion dolls, singing figures and deluxe collectible models.

During the lead-up to the release of the film however Mattel encountered an unfortunate mishap. The web address printed on the back of the dolls’ boxes did not lead to the movie’s dedicated website but to a porn studio. The packaging was supposed to guide customers to the movie’s official website „wickedmovie.com“, for unknown reasons the dolls on retailers’ shelves ended up listing „wicked.com“ however.

The adult entertainment company Wicked Pictures was established back in 1993 in Canoga Park, California, with a „firm commitment to producing quality parody porn movies“ according to their website.

News of the misprint broke over the weekend of Sunday, the 10th of November 2024, with social-media users rapidly spreading pictures of packaging featuring the wrong website. The reactions among users ranged from ridicule to concern for the young target audience of the toys.

Some people even seized the opportunity to try and make a profit on the back of the mistake. Listings of the dolls were quick to pop up on sites like eBay with asking prices ranging from 70 to over 450 dollars, far eclipsing the original retail price of 25 dollars.

The snafu caused the Wicked Pictures website to record its highest traffic in twelve years, according to Google Trends. The official website for the Universal Pictures film „wickedmovie.com“ also saw a similar spike in activity.

The Involved Parties Take the Stand

Mattel were quick to release a statement about the situation. They acknowledge the misprint, express deep regret about the „unfortunate error“ and reassure that they „are taking immediate action to remedy this“. The statement continues: „Parents are advised that the misprinted, incorrect website is not appropriate for children.“ Those who have already bought the dolls should either discard the packaging or „obscure the link“ in some manner, according to Mattel. They sign off by stating that their Customer Service can be contacted for further information.

Aside from releasing this statement, Mattel promptly pulled the dolls from retailers’ shelves. The number of affected dolls has not been disclosed.

Wicked Pictures were also aware of the situation, but made it clear that they „have no involvement in this matter“. Those seeking further information should therefore „contact Mattel directly“.

Universal Pictures did not make any statements regarding the situation.

Legal Consequences?

Holly Ricketson, a woman from South Carolina, claims she and her underage daughter were „irreparably harmed“ by the misprint. The mother’s proposed class action filed in Los Angeles federal court alleges that her child visited the website shown on the packaging, which subsequently „pasted scenes of pornographic advertisements across her phone screen.“

Ricketson’s suit levies a plethora of accusations against Mattel, like unjust enrichment, negligence and violation of California’s false advertising law. Her complaint also took issue with the fact that Mattel „did not offer any refund for consumers who had already purchased the dolls“.

Mattel stated that it does not comment on pending litigation. Nevertheless, a spokesperson said the following: „ The Wicked Dolls have returned for sale with correct packaging at retailers online and in stores to meet the strong consumer demand for the products. The previous misprint on the packaging in no way impacts the value or play experience provided by the product itself in the limited number of units sold before the correction. We express our gratitude to our consumers and retailers for their understanding and patience while we worked to remedy the issue.”

A member of Ricketson’s legal team, attorney Roy T. Willey IV, stated: „This lawsuit is not just about recovering the cost of these dolls; it is about holding corporations accountable for the responsibility they have to safeguard children. When a company markets a product to young children, it has an obligation to ensure that every aspect of that product — from its design to its packaging — is free of risks to their safety and well-being.”

There have been no updates on this lawsuit since its filing in December 2024.

Analysis of the Case

Generally speaking, Mattel did a good job handling this rather embarrassing episode. They were swift to respond and pulled the affected dolls out of circulation. A decision that probably made a noticeable dent in their bottom line. Nevertheless, one cannot help but wonder how this mishap occurred in the first place. What happened here? Did a Mattel employee play a practical joke on their customers? Does Mattel not have any quality control? By completely failing to address how such a glaring mistake could slip through the cracks Mattel leaves the door open for rampant speculation.

Universal Pictures did their best to stay out of the crossfire. This decision makes sense as they presumably tried to stop people from associating this fiasco with their blockbuster as much as possible this close to release.

Wicked Pictures’ response was perfectly servicable. They were not responsible for the mix-up, after all.

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