MADISON — A Chicago astronomer is suing the maker of American Girl dolls, alleging the Wisconsin company stole her likeness and name to create its astronaut doll.
The Wisconsin State Journal reports the federal trademark lawsuit filed in Madison by Lucianne Walkowicz asks American Girl and its parent company, Mattel, to stop selling the Luciana Vega doll.
The doll is described as “an aspiring astronaut ready to take the next giant leap to Mars.”
Walkowicz is a TED senior fellow at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, spent much of her career with NASA and has lectured extensively on Mars exploration.
The lawsuit notes the doll has a purple streak in her hair and wears holographic shoes, just as Walkowicz does.
