Fred Prouser/Reuters
- Pixar cofounder John Lasseter is not returning to Disney following the six-month leave of absence he started in November, the company says.
- Lasseter's sabbatical was announced shortly before The Hollywood Reporter reported on employee allegations of inappropriate workplace behavior from the exec. In a memo to employees at the time, Lasseter referred to his behavior as "missteps."
- Lasseter's alleged behavior came into the public eye right in the middle of the #MeToo movement.
Disney announced on Friday that Pixar cofounder John Lasseter will not be returning to the company at the conclusion of the six-month sabbatical he started at the end of 2017.
Originally reported by The New York Times, Lasseter will take on a consulting role at Disney for the rest of the year, after which, he will depart completely. The Times reports that he will not have an office at Disney in the interim.
Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Lasseter confirmed in an internal memo last November that he was taking a six-month leave last fall. His memo came shortly before the Hollywood Reporter published an investigative story about employee allegations of inappropriate behavior on the part of Lasseter, including "grabbing, kissing, making comments about physical attributes."
"I've been giving a lot of thought to the leader I am today compared to the mentor, advocate and champion I want to be," Lasseter wrote in the memo. "It's been brought to my attention that I have made some of you feel disrespected or uncomfortable. That was never my intent. Collectively, you mean the world to me, and I deeply apologize if I have let you down."
Lasseter is the latest entertainment executive to step down from a high-profile position following allegations of sexual misconduct, as the #MeToo movement sweeps Hollywood.
Lasseter is best known for directing the first two installments of the "Toy Story" movies, as well as "Cars" and "A Bug's Life." The studio's colorful "Coco" was released last Thanksgiving, shortly after Lasseter took his leave of absence.