Ok, well maybe not Dora herself. Caitlin Sanchez, the voice of Nickelodeon’s Dora on Dora The Explorer, has filed a lawsuit against the network with the support of her parents. Sanchez, 14, has voiced Dora since the show hit the airways in 2007. According to a report from the New York Daily News, Sanchez and her parents claim that she was pressured by Nickelodeon into signing a complicated contract that has ripped her off millions of dollars. The suit claims that they were rushed into signing the contract without consultation of a lawyer. Sanchez’s agent, Jason Burcy, allegedly gave the family 22 minutes to look over the contract mentioning that if they didn’t sign quickly Nickelodeon would pass on the offer for Caitlin to voice the cartoon character. The contract would allow Nickelodeon to exploit her as her alter-ego, Dora. The suit claims that Sanchez was not compensated for hundreds of hours of recording sessions and was compensated only $40 a day for travelling around the country promoting Dora The Explorer. She was also promised $5,115 per episode and compensation in residuals and merchandise. Nickelodeon, MTV Networks, and Viacom International are named as defendants in the suit who “”used Caitlin, unjustly enriching themselves of millions of dollars in profits from the series and branded products, which Caitlin performed and promoted.”
Nickelodeon has released the following statement in response: “The claims being made are baseless. Unfortunately, Caitlin’s voice changed and she was no longer able to portray the Dora character, as happened with the actress who originated the role. Caitlin’s contract was extensively negotiated through her agent and in compliance with her union. She was well-compensated for her work and for personal appearances. We have enjoyed working with Caitlin on Dora the Explorer these past three years, and we did in fact offer her a contract for other work with us.”
So what do you think? Are you heartbroken to hear this beloved cartoon character is turning on Nick? Let us know in our FORUMS or just comment below!