Latondra Newton decided to leave to “pursue other endeavors,” according to a memo from The Walt Disney Company.
QUICK FACTS:
- Disney’s Chief Diversity Officer Latondra Newton is leaving her position after more than six years.
- An internal memo from Disney’s Chief Human Resources Officer Sonia Coleman obtained by Variety read, “I’m writing to share the news that Latondra Newton has decided to leave The Walt Disney Company to pursue other endeavors.”
- “Since joining the company in 2017, Latondra has led the company’s strategic diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, including partnering with stakeholders across the enterprise to amplify stories of the world by people around the world. She has been dedicated to ensuring every person sees themselves and their life experiences represented in a meaningful and authentic way,” the memo continued.
- Newton has “inspired countless cast members and employees to bring about lasting change and to help create a world where we can all feel safe and we all belong.”
- Employees of the company will now report to an interim leader until a new diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) chief is found.
- During her time with Disney, Newton co-signed a memo with Disney CEO Bob Iger and former CEO Bob Chapek following the death of George Floyd, promising to “use our compassion, our creative ideas and our collective sense of humanity to ensure we are fostering a culture that acknowledges our people’s feelings and their pain. We also realize that now more than ever is the time for us all to further strengthen our commitment to diversity and inclusion everywhere.”
DISNEY’S RECENT BOX OFFICE BOMBS:
- Disney’s 2022 film Lightyear pulled in $118,307,118 on a $200 million budget.
- The film featured a lesbian kiss.
- The Little Mermaid was a box office failure, after Black American singer Halle Baily played the traditionally white princess.
- The race-swapped film is Disney’s fourth worst live-action remake and is not expected to break even on its production and marketing costs.
- Disney’s latest film release, Elemental, is one of the worst-premiered films for the company since the 1990s.
- The animated movie featured Disney’s first non-binary character who uses they/them pronouns.
- Elemental opened with $29.6 million, though it cost $200 million to make.
BACKGROUND:
- A show on Disney+ sparked controversy after it was learned that the show’s plot revolves around a pregnant teenager falling in love with the devil.
- The German series “Pauline” is from the creators of the Netflix show “How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast).”
- Founder of the website Movieguide, Ted Baehr, has pressed for a petition to stop the show from being released, saying, “We can’t let this twisted and disturbing content corrupt our children’s values and beliefs.”
- Baehr described the harmful influence the show could have on young audiences: “Horrifically, this series even portrays Satan as a romantic partner! By normalizing and promoting such a relationship, Pauline sends a dangerous message to young viewers that associating with demons, Satan, and evil is acceptable and even desirable!”
