The Parental Rights in Education bill has passed the Florida Legislature and awaits the signature of Gov. 02:35. Its going to be a recurring theme here. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. Signup for Breaking News Alerts & Newsletters. In "The Courage to Be Free," the governor describes a conversation with former CEO Bob Chapek about Disney's political activities. The event concluded with a fireside chat from Nadine Smith of Equality Florida and Latondra Newton, Disneys Chief Diversity Officer. And I think thats a world we should all live in harmony and peace., Disney+ Tops 100 Million Subscribers , CEO Bob Chapek Says. We are hard at work creating a new framework for our political giving that will ensure our advocacy better reflects our values. Chapek is in the third-year of a three-year contract as CEO that expires in February. Ron DeSantis said he advised former Disney CEO Bob Chapek to stay out of a political battle over legislation in his state limiting discussion of sex and gender in public schools, according to the Republican's forthcoming book. Disney CEO Bob Chapek is facing a crisis of confidence in his leadership that is fueling an atypical level of turmoil at the top of the worlds largest entertainment company.. "Parks is the only business they have, before [streaming], that's direct to consumer.". DeSantis, a rumored 2024 presidential hopeful, has not yet announced if he will run. It states that "classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.". Im with the President on this! Igerwrote. Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks. DeSantis wrotethat Chapek and Disney ultimately caved to leftist media and activist pressure and pressed the false narrative against the bill.. Heinz, and in advertising at J. Walter Thompson. People like me will say, Gee, how come Disney has never said anything about China, where they make a fortune? DeSantis told Chapek, according to the book. The Courage to be Free: Floridas Blueprint for American Revival, Fidelity Finds 401Ks Lost 25% of Their Value in 2022, Biden Says He May Be a White Boy, But Hes Not Stupid, One State Will Make It illegal for Vaccinated Donors to Give Blood, Rumors Are That John Fetterman Is Essentially Brain Dead, Dr. Malone on the Possible US Role in the Development of Coronavirus, They Set Us Up! Bombshell J6 Footage Shows Metro Police Discussion, Prophylaxis Nasal Spray Might Put an End to Vaccines. This story has been shared 151,093 times. Disney has intentionally left some fans behind, but it may need them later. Iger said he spent months personally getting to know Apple and Pixar founder Steve Jobs, Star Wars' creator George Lucas, former Marvel Chairman Ike Perlmutter and Fox controlling shareholder Rupert Murdoch. Then, the CEO found himself in a public spat with Floridas governor, who recognized an opportunity to score cheap political points off Disney. ", Florida Gov. Chapek's was named chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in 2015 and his tenure was marked by the opening of Shanghai Disney Resort in 2016, the doubling of the Disney Cruise Line fleet, the addition of immersive Star Wars lands at Disneyland and Disney World, the expansion of Marvel-inspired attractions worldwide and massive development projects at Disneyland Paris. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. If passed, this bill will put vulnerable, young LGBTQ people in jeopardy., Biden had tweeted his opposition to legislation designed to attack LGBTQI+ kids.. The debut of "Disney Enchantment" during "The World's Most Magical Celebration" Walt Disney World Resort 50th Anniversary at Magic Kingdom on Sept. 30, 2021, in Orlando, Florida. "I didn't do the deal myself, but it was singular in terms of the pursuit one on one in some cases being as candid as I possibly could be, and I think as authentic as I could be, and developing a relationship, even if it was developed over a relatively brief period of time.". ABC NEWS SUSPENDS DAVID WRIGHT FOR REMARKS MADE IN PROJECT VERITAS VIDEO. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our. Iger sat down for an exclusive interview with CNBC's David Faber. Labeledby opponentsas the Dont Say Gay bill, the legislation effectively bans discussion or teaching about the LGBTQ+ community and sexual orientation or gender identity in the states public school system from kindergarten to the third grade. At first, Chapek tried to remain on the sidelines, but LGBTQ employees and advocates pressured the exec to take a stand last March, asserting that the bill was a human rights issue. Disney has since stated it will no longer donate to political campaigns. Thats not even a dig on Chapek. or redistributed. It sounds about right. He knew how to grow the business while adjusting to the changing marketplace, which was intense." The segment includes Disney's travel and leisure businesses, including six resort destinations and a cruise line, its consumer products operations, including all of its licensing of apparel, toys, home goods, digital games, apps, publishing and retail locations, as well as all of its theme parks globally. In a second memo to Disney workers, Chapek said Disney was suspending all political donations in Florida. Kathleen Kennedy Cites Impact Of Women, Artists Of Color And LGBTQ On Industry Amid Disney Dont Say Gay Backlash PGA Awards. Iger, 70, is leaving Disney after running the company from 2005 to 2020. Iger, 69, will remain with the company through 2021 to handle Disney's content initiatives such as Disney+, with the expectation that Chapek will eventually take control of all roles. Periodically, we must employ comment moderation due to an influx of spammers. Not coincidentally, Chapeks naivet has already caused Disney to take shots from the left AND right on two different matters. This choice cost her tens of millions of dollars, as her contract rewarded her with a split of box office revenue. Spirit Awards: Everything Everywhere All at Once Starts With a Bang, The Bear Wins First TV Award, Tom Sizemore, Saving Private Ryan, Heat and Natural Born Killers Actor, Dies at 61, LeVar Burton, The Right to Read Director Jenny Mackenzie on the Underbelly of the American Literacy Crisis, How Marlon Wayans Made an Hour of Comedy Out of Slapgate With New HBO Max Special, Disney Reorg: Dana Walden, Alan Bergman Gain Streaming, International; Rebecca Campbell to Exit, Nelson Peltz Abandons Disney Proxy Fight, as Bob Iger Says "Everything Is on the Table" for Hulu, Guest Column: Alec Baldwins Rust Prosecutors Should Do Their Talking in Court, Sofia Carson on Preparing to Perform With Diane Warren at the Oscars: I Still Pinch Myself, Miley Cyrus to Perform Songs From New Album on Disney+ Special Miley Cyrus Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions), Guns N Roses, Arctic Monkeys Join Elton John as Headliners of Glastonbury Festival, Novelist Julianna Baggott Launches Production Banner, Wayne Shorter, Jazz Saxophone Pioneer, Dies at 89, Star Hairstylist Jen Atkin Reveals Must-Have Hair Tools, Tutorials and Pro Tips In New MasterClass, Rihannas Puma x Fenty Is Coming Back Heres Where You Can Still Buy Those Cult-Fave Creepers, The Best Bridesmaid Dresses for Every Budget, From Under-$100 Gowns to Hollywood-Inspired Classics, BTS Army: Heres When and Where Legos Dynamite-Inspired Set Arrives Online and In Stores, The Big Lebowski Turns 25: People Didnt Get It, Jeff Bridges Recalls, How the Landscape of Native-Led Stories Has Changed Between Avatars: Were Flexing Our Sovereignty, The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user and thereby more valuable for publishers and third party advertisers. These cast members were already reticent to uproot their lives for Disney. Its even possible that nobody was seriously vetting at all. DeSantis signs bill placing Disney district u Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, Buster Murdaugh got 'very drunk' with dad 2 months after mom, brother murdered: source, What's next for Buster Murdaugh after dad's murder conviction, life sentence, Prince Harry was scared to lose Meghan Markle after fight that led to therapy, Prince Harry says psychedelics are fundamental part of his life, Inside Scheana Shay, Raquel Leviss heated confrontation about Tom Sandoval affair, Tom Sizemore And The Dangerous Burden of Desperation, Tom Sandoval, Raquel Leviss planned to tell Ariana Madix about affair. Ron DeSantis said that ex-Disney CEO Bob Chapek complained to him about the pressure he was under from the left [WOKEs] to join in on the Governors new education bill restricting gender identity lessons, PK-3. Still, if the economy ever suddenly suffered a setback, this unforced error would magnify in scope. In addition to addressing Disney directly, Madison also acknowledged that the issue is much larger than the single company. Disney has given about $55 million to Republicans, Democrats and political committees in the state over the past 28 years, including about $5 million in 2020 and more than $2 million so far in 2022, state records show. Preference cookies enable a website to remember information that changes the way the website behaves or looks, like your preferred language or the region that you are in. All Rights Reserved. Bob Chapek was tapped on Tuesday to succeedlong-time Disney CEO Bob Iger. The Shanghai and Hong Kong Disney parks have been shuttered until the outbreak can be contained and there are concerns from analysts that upcoming Disney film releases like "Mulan" could be disrupted because cinemas are currently closed in China. Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Chapek apologized to employees at the company for the companys handling of Floridas so-called Dont Say Gay bill and said that it would Now, of course, taking Disney CEO Bob Chapek gets close to GOP lawmakers ahead of It should never have reached that point, though. I was glad to speak to Bob yesterday afternoon, and we had a very productive conversation about the need for Disney to put real muscle into stopping whats happening to their employees and to their fans.. ", FLORIDA REPUBLICANS CONDEMN 'WOKE' DISNEY, URGE MORE BOYCOTTS BY CONSERVATIVES AGAINST THE 'ACTIVIST MACHINE'. ABC News declined to comment when reached by Fox News. You can look at the comments section for any Disney discussion, and its an inevitable statement from some. The controversial Project Veritas is the same group that published footage of ABC anchor Amy Robach claiming ABC News executives killeda story that would have exposed the now-deceased sex offenderJeffrey Epsteinthree years ago. Iger told Disney staffers in November that he didnt like that the Mouse House was embroiled in controversy and that he would work to quiet things down.. Disney Chairman Bob Iger is leaving the company at the end of the month. "Bob is probably the best qualified person in the company to take this job," Michael Nathanson, senior research analyst at MoffettNathanson, said on CNBC's "Closing Bell" Tuesday. This priority caused him to lose sight of the challenges in working with Hollywood talents. The streaming service launched in November. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis. Disney CEO Bob Chapek has had private phone calls this year with House Republican leaders including House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La. Former Disney CEO Bob Chapek last year complained to Florida Gov. We want to hear from you! Parents would be able to sue school districts over the issue. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Still, DeSantis has continued to claim that Chapeks opposition is only because he hadnt bothered to read the bill, according to a DeSantis campaign email sent Thursday. Dave Filoni Answers, Relieve the Battle of Hoth With This Star Wars Mystery Pin Set, Dining / Disney California Adventure / Disneyland, Must-Try Menu Items at Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival. Timing 'surprising' says senior analyst on Bob Iger stepping down. The kind of people who were the jokes on Portlandia are now in charge of producing childrens entertainment in America https://t.co/auyihRcdnO, SCOOP: Disney diversity and inclusion manager Vivian Ware says the company has eliminated all mentions of ladies, gentlemen, boys, and girls in its theme parks in order to create that magical moment for children who do not identify with traditional gender roles. And if that doesnt happen, to get these bills repealed, she added. He stepped down last year as CEO, succeeded by Bob Chapek, but has stayed on as chairman through the coronavirus pandemic. The other way that Disney got hit from the left and right happened last week. 11. In short, this debacle was totally avoidable. Cookies are small text files that can be used by websites to make a user's experience more efficient. ABC NEWS' AMY ROBACH CAUGHT ON HOT MIC SAYING NETWORK SPIKED HER EPSTEIN BOMBSHELL, Danhof asked Chapek directly, What steps can you take to return objectivity to ABC and when can we expect to see balanced coverage return?. Disney did not return requests for comment. Ron DeSantis said he advised former Disney CEO Bob Chapek to stay out of a political battle over legislation in his state limiting discussion of sex and gender in public schools, according to the Republican's forthcoming book. All Rights Reserved. But Chapek stayed positive and dismissed the other criticism, saying ABC News has a stellar track record of being objective and reporting the news and will continue to do so in the future., ABC NEW SUSPENDS MATT GUTMAN FOR FALSELY REPORTING ALL OF KOBE BRYANT'S CHILDREN WERE ON DOOMED HELICOPTER, "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss," Danhof told Fox News following the meeting, referencing a famous The Who lyric. In totality, its one problematic mistake, though. Florida Gov. Then, it required many Golden State employees to switch coasts. They allegedly alsomade the workplace environment hostile. The actress was let go from the popular Lucasfilm and Disney series on Disney+ after she took to social media to, as Lucasfilm described it, post abhorrent material that compared the current divided political climate in the U.S. to Nazi Germany. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided byRefinitiv Lipper. During the town hall, Chapek repeated his expression of regret about the companys decision not to take a public stance against the bill, given the large number of its employees it affected. Knowing my grandchildren will never experienced true Disney magic without political agendas. He will be the seventh CEO in Disney's nearly 100-year history. "I obviously have huge shoes to fill," Chapek told CNBC's Julia Boorstin on "Closing Bell" Tuesday. This site uses different types of cookies. Look no further! Home; Video; Trump Investigations; Right Wing Extremism; Opinion; Impeachment; Corruption; Foreign Policy; Market data provided by Factset. This year, Mr. Chapek contended with one crisis after another, some of his own making. Disney CEO Bob Chapek admitted at Disneys 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders that he had been actively opposing the bill through back channels despite previously sending out an email to his employees claiming the company would not be taking a stance on the bill. He is the guilty party. In addition to pledging to enlist an outside adviser to guide the companys efforts, Chapek also is creating a companywide task force led by studios SVP Global Communications Paul Roeder and Disney Parks marketing executive Lisa Becket. HERITAGE ACTION CALLS OUT DISNEY: 'IT REALLY IS A WOKE WORLD AFTER ALL', "We all have the right to have our voices heard on issues, but not on the shareholders dime.". However, once the show started, well, it got awkward fast. But, thus far, theyve had no impact on the bottom line, as Disney just claimed its second-best park performance ever for a fiscal quarter. Thats what has happened, though. A recent CNBC article referenced Chapeks perceived lack of emotional intelligence. So, Disney had to do many of these things, and I would agree with you. At this point, I felt confident he knew what he was doing because that was the right move. The Democrat Party was visibly angry, and the media spread lies about the bill being a Dont Say Gay bill. bob chapek political party (2022) Harriet Jacobs Children, Slick Slider Arrow Position , Wagon Wheel Old Crow Medicine Show Chords , World Most Perfect Face Male 2020 , How To Become An Affiliate Marketer , Abcmouse Increase Difficulty , Parotid Gland We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. November 21, 2022 by Mary Bob Chapek was born Robert Alan Chapek on August 21, 1960, in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Chapek allegedly told him he didnt want to get involved but hadnt seen anything like it, but thats not what he said in public. VIDEO 3:58 03:58. "Right now, the course that Bob has laid is one that we fully intend to follow and I think will pay dividends for our shareholders for years to come," he said. Chapek didnt speak to the Carano incident directly but said Disney stands for values that are universal: respect, decency, integrity and inclusion and we seek to have the content that we make reflective of the rich diversity of the world we live in. New York CNN . The stockholder, speaking during the Q&A portion of Disneys annual shareholder meeting, noted that co-stars Pedro Pascal and Gina Carano both controversially referenced Nazi Germany in social media comments but only she was removed. Some cookies are placed by third party services that appear on our pages. Disney acquired the majority of Fox's assets in 2019. Under pressure from LGBTQ activists and progressive employees some of whom who have walked out of the job in protest Disney's Chapeks eventually criticized the Florida legislation, paused all political giving in Florida and apologized to employees. "Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that. 2016 Election Cycle. Original story, Wednesday morning: Disney CEO Bob Chapek said during the companys shareholders meeting on Wednesday that he will be meeting with Florida Gov. Chief executive Bob Chapek doesnt think so. Chapek and Disneys past public silence on the controversial HB 1557/SB 1834 bill ignited an internal revolt among the companys LGBTQ employees and their allies, leading to the CEO apologizing Friday for not being a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights., You may have seen the news earlier this week that HRC is not going to take any funding from Disney until we see them take real action to defeat hateful legislation in Florida, the HRC interim leader said during her speech at the Saturday event. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Unfortunately, theresnothing inclusive about the Dont Say Gay bill. "I would consider myself a socialist,like I think there should be national health insurance," he said. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter, Interim president Joni Madison confirmed she and Bob Chapek "had a very productive conversation about the need for Disney to put real muscle into stopping what's happening to their employees and to their fans.". While Iger didn't speak about specific decisions, he said he was increasingly invalidating points from co-workers because he'd "heard every argument before." Powered and implemented byFactSet Digital Solutions. News Analysis. Ron DeSantis. Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks. And Laurene and Steve and [Iger's wife] Willow [Bay] and I sat down at a dinner, and he toasted to the deal we had done some years earlier, convinced that it was the right thing to do for Disney and for Pixar.