"Dora the Explorer" Voice Caitlin Sanchez Sues Nickelodeon, Claims She's Owed Millions

NEW YORK (CBS/AP) The teenager who once lent her voice to Nickelodeon's "Dora the Explorer" is now suing the television network for breach of contract, claiming she is owned millions for residuals, merchandise tie-ins, and promotional appearances.

Caitlin Sanchez, 14, who provided the bilingual voice for the show's heroine since 2007, and her family, have filed a lawsuit against Nickelodeon and its corporate parents saying she is owed fees for reruns, recordings of DVDs and other Dora products and hundreds of hours of promotional work, says E! online.

"Caitlin and her family hoped to resolve their concerns short of filing any complaint, but were unfortunately forced to sue when they believed that Nickelodeon was not engaged in good faith discussions," her attorney, John Balestriere told E! Online.

The lawsuit claims Nickelodeon purposely misrepresented itself during initial contract talks and has been "unjustly enriched in the tens of millions of dollars" while Sanchez was improperly compensated, says the entertainment news site.

Nickelodeon is claiming the teen's lawsuit is baseless.

Network spokesman David Bitter says Sanchez she was "well-compensated for her work and for her personal appearances" and that the network has even offered her other work in light of her recent voice change.

"Dora The Explorer," now in its 10th year, has become a cartoon icon and a cultural force.

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