Disney Pixar’s John Lasseter Takes Leave Of Absence Following Allegations Of Sexual Misconduct

It. Just. Won’t. Stop.

This one is especially disappointing, because I absolutely love Pixar movies (Monsters Inc. forever).

Disney Pixar’s John Lasseter has taken a leave of absence after a former employee, Rashida Jones, claimed he made unwanted advances her way.

Rashida Jones is still credited as a writer on Toy Story 4, the next installment in the beloved franchise. But, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter, the actress and her writing partner at the time, Will McCormack, left the project early on after John Lasseter, the acclaimed head of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation, made an unwanted advance.

Jones and McCormack did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Disney declined to comment on the alleged incident though a studio source said the departure was over “creative differences.” Multiple sources spoke with THR but asked not to be named out of fear that their careers in the tight-knit animation community would be damaged.

Apparently, insiders aren’t shocked by this.

Based on the accounts of former Pixar insiders as well as sources in the animation community, the alleged incident was not an isolated occurrence. One longtime Pixar employee says Lasseter, who is well-known for hugging employees and others in the entertainment community, was also known by insiders for “grabbing, kissing, making comments about physical attributes.” Multiple sources say Lasseter is known to drink heavily at company social events such as premiere parties, but this source says the behavior was not always confined to such settings.

Wait, there’s more.

Sources say some women at Pixar knew to turn their heads quickly when encountering him to avoid his kisses. Some used a move they called “the Lasseter” to prevent their boss from putting his hands on their legs.

EWWWWWWWWW.

Because of this, he’s taking a leave of absence.

“I have always wanted our animation studios to be places where creators can explore their vision with the support and collaboration of other gifted animators and storytellers,” Lasseter said. “This kind of creative culture takes constant vigilance to maintain. It’s built on trust and respect, and it becomes fragile if any members of the team don’t feel valued. As a leader, it’s my responsibility to ensure that doesn’t happen; and I now believe I have been falling short in this regard.”

“I’ve recently had a number of difficult conversations that have been very painful for me. It’s never easy to face your missteps, but it’s the only way to learn from them,” he added.

He’s played a huge role in Pixar films, so this is really going to change things. He’s directed “Toy Story,” ″Toy Story 2,” ″A Bug’s Life” and “Cars,” and has produced every Pixar feature since 2001′s “Monster’s, Inc.”

DUDE. NOOOO.

The most powerful man in animation just admitted he's abused his power. https://t.co/VypwQtl78H

— Matthew Belloni (@THRMattBelloni) November 21, 2017

Disney Animation executive John Lasseter is taking a leave of absence from Pixar after allegations of sexual misconduct were detailed to @THR. pic.twitter.com/6Hs8fHi0nX

— AJ+ (@ajplus) November 21, 2017

John Lasseter needs to go officially. No leave of absence. Disney being in the position its in should take a stand and remove him. Men we need to do better if someone is inappropriately touched , unwanted advance. verbal sexual harassment.Believe them ,support them, speak up

— Jeff (@jeffgordonla) November 21, 2017

Yes.

It's every industry.

I feel like I've been screaming at a wall for 30 years.

Disney Animation head John Lasseter is taking a leave of absence from Pixar after acknowledging "painful" conversations & "missteps," he wrote in a memo to staff Tuesday https://t.co/AhAOVFEPJe

— Holly O'Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) November 21, 2017

Does any story capture the current mood better than "Hey, you know the most beloved children's films in history? Well, here's a bunch of sexual harassment allegations." https://t.co/9Ll0TMU8sD

— Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) November 21, 2017

Pervs everywhere. Absolutely everywhere. This sucks.