A lawsuit against Thea von Engelbrechten, the Irish content creator behind the Sylvanian Drama social media accounts, has been dismissed. Von Engelbrechten operates a TikTok account with 2.5 million followers and an Instagram account with one million followers. She had not posted since December 2024, prompting speculation among fans regarding her absence.
In April 2024, Epoch, the Japanese company that owns the Sylvanian Families brand, filed a lawsuit in New York, citing “copyright infringement” and asserting “irreparable injury” to its reputation. However, the case has now been dropped.
Von Engelbrechten gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic by creating humorous, soap opera-style narratives featuring Sylvanian Families dolls, which included dramatic themes such as relationships and conflicts. In contrast, Sylvanian Families, known as Calico Critters in the United States, are marketed as charming, family-friendly toys with distinctive animal characters.
Epoch alleged in its lawsuit that von Engelbrechten had promoted other brands, like Kate Spade and Netflix, using these toys. In her defense, von Engelbrechten filed a countersuit claiming her content was a form of parody.
On August 8, Epoch voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit “without prejudice,” meaning they can potentially refile in the future. Each party agreed to cover its own legal expenses.
On the day of the lawsuit’s dismissal, von Engelbrechten announced on Instagram her intention to change the name and profile picture of her account, seeking suggestions from her followers. The media has reached out to her for further comment.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1w8g3215pvo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss