Was Beck’s beer really brewed in Germany? How talented are the members of Led Zeppelin? Which TV lawyer do most real-life attorneys identify with? Find your answers here in our look back at 2015.
Several celebrities felt toyed with in 2015. Deney Terrio, who choreographed John Travolta in “Saturday Night Fever” and hosted the ’70s TV show “Dance Fever,” sued Hasbro over “Littlest Pet Shop” character “Vinnie Terrio.” The real Terrio saw more than a passing resemblance in the cartoon gecko, including hairstyle and “signature dance moves,” and sued for a share of the profits. “Gangnam Style” singer Psy was also the alleged model for a lookalike doll that danced to a sound chip of his hit song. YG Entertainment, Psy’s record company, unsuccessfully sued the doll manufacturer for violation of publicity rights. Hasbro came under fire once again for “Littlest Pet Shop,” this time for its hamster character named “Harris Faulkner.” The real-life Harris Faulkner, a Fox newscaster, sued the toy company for $5 million for misappropriating her name and, she claims, her look. Hasbro filed for dismissal, saying that “a side-by-side comparison of Ms. Faulkner and the Hamster Toy shows that the two bear absolutely no resemblance.”
Photo: GabboT via Wikimedia Commons
