On Tuesday, The Hollywood Reporter published a report detailing a pattern of alleged sexual misconduct perpetrated by Disney Animation head John Lasseter, including allegedly sexually harassing Rashida Jones. The article features allegations from several sources (though not Jones herself), who say that Jones and her writing partner at the time, Will McCormack, walked away from their writing commitment to Toy Story 4 after Lasseter made an unwanted advance toward Jones.
Jones is still credited as a writer on the project, and a studio source told THR that her early departure was due to “creative differences.” A longtime Pixar employee also told THR that Lasseter has a reputation for “grabbing, kissing, [and] making comments about physical attributes.”
Hours after the report was published, Lasseter announced he would be taking a leave of absence from Disney. “I’ve recently had a number of difficult conversations that have been very painful for me,” wrote Lasseter, in a statement responding to the allegations made against him. “It’s never easy to face your missteps, but it’s the only way to learn from them…. I especially want to apologize to anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug or any other gesture they felt crossed the line in any way, shape, or form. No matter how benign my intent, everyone has the right to set their own boundaries and have them respected.”
Disney also released a statement, which reads only: “We are committed to maintaining an environment in which all employees are respected and empowered to do their best work. We appreciate John’s candor and sincere apology and fully support his sabbatical.”
[THR]
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend are expecting their second child!
Just last month, Teigen revealed in her InStyle cover story that she and Legend were going to try IVF soon, which is how she conceived her daughter Luna as well.
[People]
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