Similarities out of this world
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There’s a not-so-wholesome twist in American Girl’s 2018 “Girl of the Year.”
Silky-haired brunette Luciana Vega, a starry-eyed 11-year-old interested in going to Space Camp and becoming the first Mars astronaut, aiming to encourage little girls everywhere to take up science, was allegedly created in the image of Lucianne Walkowicz.
Ms. Walkowicz is an astronomist who has worked on space exploration projects and a scholar in everything Mars and the star Vega. She’s also a TED fellow on the staff at Chicago's Adler Planetarium and is known for her TED talks viewed by millions, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Sunday.
One more thing for the true-life stargazer’s resume: plaintiff in a lawsuit filed against the dollmaker, according to the newspaper.
The lawsuit accuses American Girl and its parent company, Mattel Inc., of appropriating Walkowicz's image and identity — everything from the hair to the outfit — without permission and is suing for invasion of privacy, negligence and trademark fraud, seeking compensatory and punitive damages, and a stop to all sales of the $110 Luciana Vega doll and accessories, the newspaper reported.
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