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

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 Reporteraccused 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."

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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.