Earlier this month, Disney announced that John Lasseter, the creative mind credited with propelling Pixar to an animation giant, would exit the firm at year end. Among the allegations that led to his initial ouster were complaints about kissing female employees on the lips and pursing these employees at wrap parties while drunk.
"Lasseter saved Disney animation in totality," says Jeff Bock, a box office analyst at Exhibitor Relations. "What he did at Pixar cannot be overstated. Under Lasseter it became a gold standard, and Disney Animation was revitalized after years of mediocre output."
But Lasseter's creative genius and legendary status at Disney was not enough to protect him from the sexual harassment allegations amid the #MeToo movement.