Jennifer Tilly Chucky doll mix-up ends with replacement on the way
Unbox Industries says Jennifer Tilly will get a replacement Chucky doll after a Comic-Con employee accidentally sold her an empty box.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
The Jennifer Tilly Chucky doll saga has gone from Comic-Con mishap to quick fix: Unbox Industries says a replacement is being sent after the actress paid $175 and ended up opening an empty box.
Dan Willett, owner of Unbox Industries, told TMZ the problem began at San Diego Comic-Con, where his small independent toy company was dealing with a rush of buyers. Willett said a staffer, rattled by meeting Tilly, accidentally handed over a sample box instead of the product she had purchased.
Tilly, who is closely tied to the “Chucky” franchise, shared the moment on Instagram after opening the box. According to TMZ, she said she had bought the “Chucky kitty cat weirdo thing” in cash for franchise creator Don Mancini, only to find there was no doll inside.
In the video, Tilly joked about the sting of the purchase, saying, “Life isn’t always peaches and cream. Sometimes life is a $175 empty box.”
Why is Jennifer Tilly getting a new Chucky doll?
Unbox Industries says Tilly is getting a replacement because the company gave her the wrong box by mistake. Willett told TMZ the box she received was a sample box, not a completed item ready for sale.
The company also posted publicly on X after the mix-up started spreading. In the post, Unbox Industries asked for help contacting Tilly and said she had bought an Ayako Ishiguro x Universal Pictures “Childs Play Nyacky” at SDCC, but the company had accidentally given her an empty box.
Willett told TMZ one of his employees noticed Tilly’s Instagram post while he was preparing to return to the United Kingdom. That set off the company’s public attempt to reach the actress, because Unbox Industries said it could not message her directly.
The rescue came through a customer, according to TMZ. Willett said someone passed along contact information for Tilly’s manager, allowing the company to get a delivery address.
Willett said Unbox Industries now plans to ship the replacement on Thursday. Tilly’s representative confirmed to TMZ that the company had made contact and said the actress is aware that another doll is on the way.
The episode briefly turned a collectible purchase into a viral Comic-Con blooper, with the buyer being one of the faces most associated with the killer-doll franchise. According to Unbox Industries’ account to TMZ, though, the doll was not taken from the package after purchase. It was left out before the box ever reached Tilly.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.