Disney animation chief John Lasseter said today he is quitting, six months after acknowledging in an internal memo that he had made staff feel "disrespected or uncomfortable" with unwanted hugs.

The 61-year-old executive, best known for transforming Pixar from a small graphics department at Lucasfilm into the world's most successful animation studio, was the pioneering director of "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2."

Lasseter apologized in November last year to "anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug or any other gesture they felt crossed the line" and promptly went on sabbatical.

"The last six months have provided an opportunity to reflect on my life, career, and personal priorities," the executive said in a statement.

"While I remain dedicated to the art of animation and inspired by the creative talent at Pixar and Disney, I have decided the end of this year is the right time to begin focusing on new creative challenges."

The Oscar-winning filmmaker and senior executive conceded when the scandal broke that he had been "falling short" in ensuring a culture of "trust and respect" at his animation studios.

The admission followed a flood of complaints of sexual abuse and harassment by numerous powerful entertainment industry figures, most notably Harvey Weinstein, who posted bail of $1 million last month after being charged in New York with multiple sex crimes.

Lasseter's issues were unearthed in an investigation by entertainment trade paper, which described a "pattern of alleged misconduct detailed by Disney/Pixar insiders."

The&nbsp;report -- never confirmed by Disney or Lasseter -- quoted a longtime Pixar employee claiming Lasseter was known for "grabbing, kissing, making comments about physical attributes."

Multiple sources were quoted alleging that Lasseter was a heavy drinker at company social events and that some women at Pixar knew to turn their heads quickly when encountering him to avoid his kisses.

Another move known as "the Lasseter" was deployed to prevent their boss from placing his hands on their thighs, the report said.

One source told the paper of "awkward encounters" with Lasseter, who liked to hug in meetings.

"You'd hug him and he'd whisper in your ear, a long time," the source said. "He hugged and hugged and everyone's looking at you. Just invading the space."

Disney said in a statement that was effusive in its praise for Lasseter that the veteran filmmaker would assume a consulting role before leaving in the New Year.

"John had a remarkable tenure at Pixar and Disney Animation, reinventing the animation business, taking breathtaking risks, and telling original, high-quality stories that will last forever," Disney chief Bob Iger said.

"We are profoundly grateful for his contributions, which included a masterful and remarkable turnaround of The Walt Disney Animation Studios."&nbsp;

Lasseter apologized in November last year to "anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug or any other gesture they felt crossed the line

Disney animation chief John Lasseter said today he is quitting, six months after acknowledging in an internal memo that he had made staff feel "disrespected or uncomfortable" with unwanted hugs. The 61-year-old executive, best known for transforming Pixar from a small graphics department at Lucasfilm into the world's most successful animation studio, was the pioneering director of "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2." Lasseter apologized in November last year to "anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug or any other gesture they felt crossed the line" and promptly went on sabbatical. "The last six months have provided an opportunity to reflect on my life, career, and personal priorities," the executive said in a statement. "While I remain dedicated to the art of animation and inspired by the creative talent at Pixar and Disney, I have decided the end of this year is the right time to begin focusing on new creative challenges." The Oscar-winning filmmaker and senior executive conceded when the scandal broke that he had been "falling short" in ensuring a culture of "trust and respect" at his animation studios. The admission followed a flood of complaints of sexual abuse and harassment by numerous powerful entertainment industry figures, most notably Harvey Weinstein, who posted bail of $1 million last month after being charged in New York with multiple sex crimes. Lasseter's issues were unearthed in an investigation by entertainment trade paper, which described a "pattern of alleged misconduct detailed by Disney/Pixar insiders." The report -- never confirmed by Disney or Lasseter -- quoted a longtime Pixar employee claiming Lasseter was known for "grabbing, kissing, making comments about physical attributes." Multiple sources were quoted alleging that Lasseter was a heavy drinker at company social events and that some women at Pixar knew to turn their heads quickly when encountering him to avoid his kisses. Another move known as "the Lasseter" was deployed to prevent their boss from placing his hands on their thighs, the report said. One source told the paper of "awkward encounters" with Lasseter, who liked to hug in meetings. "You'd hug him and he'd whisper in your ear, a long time," the source said. "He hugged and hugged and everyone's looking at you. Just invading the space." Disney said in a statement that was effusive in its praise for Lasseter that the veteran filmmaker would assume a consulting role before leaving in the New Year. "John had a remarkable tenure at Pixar and Disney Animation, reinventing the animation business, taking breathtaking risks, and telling original, high-quality stories that will last forever," Disney chief Bob Iger said. "We are profoundly grateful for his contributions, which included a masterful and remarkable turnaround of The Walt Disney Animation Studios."

Disney animation chief John Lasseter quits amid scandal over 'unwanted hugs'

Chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animations Studios, Johan Lasseter,60,&nbsp;is officially taking a &quot;six-month-long&quot;&nbsp;leave following accusations of misconduct, reports said on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The Hollywood Reporter&nbsp;accused the Pixar co-founder of&nbsp; &quot;grabbing, kissing, and making comments about physical attributes.&quot;

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lasseter released an internal statement addressed to all the employees stating that he recently had &quot;a number of difficult conversations that have been very painful for him.&quot;&nbsp;

He further wrote that: &quot;It&#39;s never easy to face your missteps, but it&#39;s the only way to learn from them. As a result, I&#39;ve been giving a lot of thought to the leader I am today compared to the mentor, advocate, and champion I want to be. It&#39;s been brought to my attention that I have made some of you feel disrespected or uncomfortable. That was never my intent,&quot;&nbsp;

Lassner also apologized to his peers, &quot;especially to those who had been 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. No matter how benign his intent was, everyone had the right to set their own boundaries and have them respected,&quot;&nbsp;he wrote in the statement.&nbsp;

He finally concluded the statement saying: &quot;As hard as it is for me to step away from a job I am so passionate about and a team I hold in the highest regard, not just as artists but as people, I know it&#39;s the best thing for all of us right now,&quot; he wrote. &quot;My hope is that a six-month sabbatical will give me the opportunity to start taking better care of myself, to recharge and be inspired, and ultimately return with the insight and perspective I need to be the leader you deserve.&quot;

Lasseter is one of the co-founders of Pixar and has given a boost to Disney&rsquo;s animation resurrection since 2006 releasing hits like &#39;Frozen&#39;, &#39;Toy Story&#39; and &#39;Coco&#39; - which releases on Thursday.&nbsp;

That same day, The Hollywood Reporter reported accusations against Pixar co-founder for 'grabbing, kissing, and making comments about physical attributes.'

Chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animations Studios, Johan Lasseter,60, is officially taking a "six-month-long" leave following accusations of misconduct, reports said on Wednesday. The Hollywood Reporter accused the Pixar co-founder of "grabbing, kissing, and making comments about physical attributes." According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lasseter released an internal statement addressed to all the employees stating that he recently had "a number of difficult conversations that have been very painful for him." He further wrote that: "It's never easy to face your missteps, but it's the only way to learn from them. As a result, I've been giving a lot of thought to the leader I am today compared to the mentor, advocate, and champion I want to be. It's been brought to my attention that I have made some of you feel disrespected or uncomfortable. That was never my intent," Lassner also apologized to his peers, "especially to those who had been 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. No matter how benign his intent was, everyone had the right to set their own boundaries and have them respected," he wrote in the statement. He finally concluded the statement saying: "As hard as it is for me to step away from a job I am so passionate about and a team I hold in the highest regard, not just as artists but as people, I know it's the best thing for all of us right now," he wrote. "My hope is that a six-month sabbatical will give me the opportunity to start taking better care of myself, to recharge and be inspired, and ultimately return with the insight and perspective I need to be the leader you deserve." Lasseter is one of the co-founders of Pixar and has given a boost to Disney’s animation resurrection since 2006 releasing hits like 'Frozen', 'Toy Story' and 'Coco' - which releases on Thursday.

Pixar's John Lasseter takes leave of absence over misconduct allegations

john-lasseter

John Lasseter, News on John Lasseter, stories on John Lasseter, articles on John Lasseter, John Lasseter stories at Wion, John Lasseter news, John Lasseter latest news

john lasseter

Disney animation chief John Lasseter quits amid scandal over 'unwanted hugs'

Pixar's John Lasseter takes leave of absence over misconduct allegations