Pixar chief John Lasseter confirms leave of absence from Disney, as report breaks accusing him of inappropriate 'grabbing, kissing'
- Disney Animation head John Lasseter is taking a leave of absence from Pixar because of "missteps," he wrote in a memo to Disney employees.
- There are reported allegations of misconduct by Lasseter toward Disney employees, including "grabbing, kissing, making comments about physical attributes."
Disney Animation head John Lasseter is taking a leave of absence from Disney/Pixar due to "missteps," according to an internal memo that was sent to staff on Tuesday, as allegations of his inappropriate conduct broke.
"It's never easy to face your missteps, but it's the only way to learn from them," Lasseter wrote in the memo first obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. Business Insider has since received the memo.
Though Lasseter does not specify the missteps in his memo, THR published another story shortly after news of Lasseter's leave of absence broke on Tuesday. In THR's investigative report, Lasseter is accused of behavior including "grabbing, kissing, making comments about physical attributes" to Disney employees.
"As a result, 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 went on to write 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 added in the memo that he's taking a six-month sabbatical in the hopes it will give him "the opportunity to start taking better care of myself, to recharge and be inspired, and ultimately return with the insight and perspective I need to be the leader you deserve."
Lasseter is best known as a driving force of Pixar, and was the director on "Toy Story" 1 and 2, "Cars" 1 and 2, and "A Bug's Life."
In 2006, after Disney purchased Pixar, Lasseter became chief creative officer at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. Since then, both animation studios have flourished, releasing such recent Oscar winners as "Inside Out" and "Zootopia."
Pixar is releasing its newest movie "Coco" on Thanksgiving.
"We are committed to maintaining an environment in which all employees are respected and empowered to do their best work," a Disney spokesperson wrote in a statement to Business Insider. "We appreciate John's candor and sincere apology and fully support his sabbatical."
Here is Lasseter's complete memo: