I can assure you of that. Still, if the economy ever suddenly suffered a setback, this unforced error would magnify in scope. While Chapek said he spoke with DeSantis by phone and would meet with him, DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw said Thursday no in-person meeting had been scheduled. Everything else is justifiable. Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Powered and implemented byFactSet Digital Solutions. Disney CEO Denies Political Leanings Following Gina Carano Firing During annual shareholder call, CEO Bob Chapek maintains the media giant isnt left leaning or right leaning, but instead stands for the universal values of respect, decency, integrity, and inclusion. Disney chief executive Bob Chapek speaks during a ceremony on Sept. 11, 2015, at Hong Kong Disneyland. In addition to pausing political donations to all Florida state representatives pending a review, Chapek also told employees in a company-wide memo that Disney would increase its support for advocacy groups to combat similar legislation in other states and is working on a new framework for its political giving that will ensure our advocacy better reflects our values.. 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. Kathleen Kennedy Cites Impact Of Women, Artists Of Color And LGBTQ On Industry Amid Disney Dont Say Gay Backlash PGA Awards. DeSantis cements takeover of Disney's special Florida district, Would love your thoughts, please comment. Ron DeSantis over the pressure he was facing to weigh in against Floridas Parental Rights Education bill, known as the Dont Say Gay bill, according to DeSantis new memoir. News Analysis. He said the company was increasing support for advocacy It wasn't the reason I left, but it was a contributing factor.". During the pandemic, Disney has ramped up its usage of high school performers at theme parks, especially Magic Kingdom. Speaking to you, reading your messages, and meeting with you have helped me better understand how painful our silence was, Chapek wrote. Ex-Disney CEO Chapek griped to DeSantis about 'pressure' to slam 11. "Parks is a business where they use data to drive pricing and engagement," Nathanson said. Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks. Bob Chapek Disney had already been under fire from the bills critics over its contributions to the bills GOP sponsors, including $11,000 over the last 12 years to GOP state Sen. Dennis Baxley of Ocala. If signed by DeSantis, the bill would prohibit discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in schools up to the third grade and limits it to age-appropriate students in higher grades. Periodically, we must employ comment moderation due to an influx of spammers. Chapek has a career as an American media executive. Iger and the Disney board's decision to give Chapek the job surprised Wall Street and Disney executives, especially after Iger had repeatedly pushed off his retirement to stay as Disney's CEO. But that's neither good nor bad. I feel that the truth suffers, the voters are poorly informed, and people also have the opportunity to tune into whatever they want to hear, Wright said in the video, which also featured an ABCNews producer. Its only temporary and has nothing to do with the content of the comments. Bob Chapek was tapped on Tuesday to succeed long-time Disney CEO Bob Iger. 2023 CNBC LLC. 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.. In his book, the Florida governor says the Disney sagas lesson is that in an environment of woke capital where large companies employ their influence to advance left-wing political agendas, old-guard corporate Republicanism is not up to the task at hand.. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. The Democrat Party was visibly angry, and the media spread lies about the bill being a Dont Say Gay bill. Bob Chapek was born Robert Alan Chapek on August 21, 1960, in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Chapek has also personally condemned the bill most vigorously, albeit a week too late. Ron DeSantis. 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." This priority caused him to lose sight of the challenges in working with Hollywood talents. In "The Courage to Be Free," the governor describes a conversation with former CEO Bob Chapek about Disney's political activities. Its going to be a recurring theme here. Bob Chapek 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 (Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via / Getty Images). And so, its like theres no upside, or our bosses dont see an upside in doing the job were supposed to do, which is to speak truth to power and hold people accountable.. The tech companies and entertainment companies here who have an influential presence across the country and around the world have an important role to play in fighting state-sanctioned discrimination wherever it exists., Madison said the country is at a tipping point, similar to the 2016 HB2 anti-trans bathroom legislation, or the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, in North Carolina and pointed to how companies that refused to expand business in the state, they pulled out of conferences, they canceled events impacted the fate of that bill. Were all familiar with the maxim that the sum is greater than the parts. "Once we did the deal, in fact, in the months before he died he came to he and his wife, Laurene, came to our house. Chapeks initial responses to the bill were tepid at best, as he wanted to maintain solid relationships with the legislators. 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 pressure from the WOKE cancel culture was vicious. DeSantis cements takeover of Disney's special Florida district, Starting immediately, we are increasing our support for advocacy groups to combat similar legislation in other states, Chapek wrote, possibly referring to a similar measure proposed in Georgia and bills targeting transgender children in Texas and Idaho. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. It sounds about right. Bob Chapek The Walt Disney Company Halting Political Contributions in 2021 Bob Chapek And today we are opposing all political donations in the state of Florida pending this review.. Bob Chapek Finally Weighs In on Woke Culture: I Want to Use VIDEO 3:58 03:58. GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE, "Disneys management succumbed to political pressure from activists on the Left, and now its getting hit from the Left and the Right," Keating told Fox News Digital. New Disney CEO Bob Chapek was confronted by an investor about ongoing issues at ABC News on Wednesday, but the high-powered executive brushed off the criticism, and the investor then blasted him for having his "head in the sand when it comes to the pervasive anti-conservative bias across ABC News.". Wright was recently disciplined by higher-ups at ABC News. 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. A source familiar with the situation told The Hollywood Reporter that HRC is still in active discussions with Disney around Chapeks initial financial pledge as well as the companys ongoing action around state legislation. Earlier this month, in an email to employees, Chapek apologized to workers for letting you down by not being more of an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. Bob Chapeks Worst Five Mistakes as Disney CEO On Monday, Disney and CEO Bob Chapek sent an internal memo following reports that the company had donated thousands of dollars to Florida representatives that supported and voted for the Parental Rights in Education bill. It is clear that this is not just an issue about a bill in Florida, but instead yet another challenge to basic human rights, Chapek said at the time. That argument is correct, independent of where you may fall on the political spectrum. The bias is blatant. 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.. ", Nothing in the Florida legislation itself mentions the word gay. REUTERS. In it, the Disney leader said the company had not released a public statement condemning the bill, which was passed by the state legislation Tuesday and has been sent to DeSantis desk to be signed, because they are often weaponized by one side or the other to further divide and inflame., Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. Prior to working at the parks, Chapek led Disney's home entertainment business starting in 2009 and led the organization to record-setting performances. Disneys queer characters wont hide its funding of real villains Analytics cookies help website owners to understand how visitors interact with websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously. Thats not even a dig on Chapek. Bob Chapek Got a confidential news tip? October 26, 2021 at 5:36 At the time, I dismissed those concerns, as Chapek had headed Disneys lucrative home video division.