Executive producer John Lasseter attends the Disney Pixar’s “COCO” premiere on November 8, 2017, in Hollywood, California. VALERIE MACON / AFP
Disney animation chief John Lasseter said Tuesday he is taking a six-month leave of absence after acknowledging in an internal memo making staff feel “disrespected or uncomfortable” with unwanted hugs.
He apologized to “anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug or any other gesture they felt crossed the line in any way, shape, or form,” in the memo, forwarded by the entertainment giant to AFP.
Lasseter, best known for transforming Pixar from a small graphics department at Lucasfilm into the most successful animation studio in the world, was the pioneering director of “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2.
Disney’s Animation Chief Takes Six-Month Leave Over ‘Unwanted Hugs’
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