Disney Exec Who Trashed Ron DeSantis’ Parental Rights Bill Fired In Major Shake Up At Studio

A high-ranking official at Walt Disney Co. who spoke out against a parental rights bill passed by the GOP-led Florida legislature and signed into law by GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis has been ousted from the company amid a major personnel shakeup.

General Entertainment Content chairman Peter Rice, who claimed publicly that he saw “this law as a violation of fundamental human rights,” was fired by Disney CEO Bob Chapek, who himself also publicly rebuked the legislation.

Chapek replaced Rice with one of the CEO’s top lieutenants, Dana Walden. The firing reportedly came as a shock to many in the entertainment world, though reports indicated that Chapek may have believed that Rice was angling for his job.
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“Dana is a dynamic, collaborative leader and cultural force who in just three years has transformed our television business into a content powerhouse that consistently delivers the entertainment audiences crave,” the CEO said in an announcement on Friday.

“Her well-earned reputation for championing creative talent and developing programming that truly captures the cultural zeitgeist has resulted in hit after hit, from ABC’s ‘Abbott Elementary’ and Onyx Collective’s Academy Award-winning ‘Summer of Soul,’ to Hulu Originals like ‘Only Murders in the Building,’ ‘Dopesick,’ ‘The Dropout’ and ‘The Kardashians,'” Chapek continued.

“She and Peter have worked closely together for years to create the best programming in the industry, and I can think of no one better than Dana to lead Disney General Entertainment to even greater heights,” the CEO added.
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Rice, meanwhile, put out a memo to staff informing them of his firing, according to Variety.

“Hi everyone, I am incredibly sad that this will be the last ‘weekend read’ that I will be sending you. It has been...

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