The Most Epic Fantasy and Sci-Fi Website

Pixar Co-Founder John Lasseter Decides To Take A Leave After Sexual Misconduct Allegations Surface


Pixar's Coco is on its way with a horde of great reviews and a 94% fresh Rotten Tomato score, so it comes as a surprise to hear that the studio's co-founder and now Disney Animation Head John Lasseter has decided to take a leave of absence.

The Hollywood Reporter was preparing a detailed article on Lasseter's alleged sexual misconduct when Pixar issued a memo to his staff saying that he'd be taking a leave of absence from the studio after he had acknowledged "painful" conversations and unspecified "missteps" in the company.

Though there isn't any certainty what the "unspecified ‘missteps'" could be, the publication's write-up on the animator and filmmaker's misconduct says that Rashida Jones and her writing partner at the time, Will McCormack, had left the Toy Story 4 writing project because Lasseter had made an unwanted advance. Jones is still being credited as a writer on the film project, however, the publication also notes that the actress' account isn't the first time it's happened.

Former Pixar insiders and sources in the animation community say that Lasseter has done the same thing to other women. One Pixar employee who's been with the company for quite a number of years has revealed that Lasseter was also known for "grabbing, kissing, making comments about physical settings."

Now it seems like the filmmaker's decided to take a break from work, stepping away from Pixar for six months. Guess Lasseter either wants some time to reflect or time to ride out this wave of negative press.

Coco makes its big premiere tomorrow, November 22, 2017.

Read: Coco: How Pixar Made Skeletons Kid-Friendly With A Simple Trick

For more articles like this, take a look at our Fandoms page.