Disney CEO ‘Sorry’ for War with DeSantis, Will ‘Quiet Things Down,’ Governor Takes Victory Lap

BURBANK, Calif. (FLV) – In exclusive footage obtained by Christopher Rufo, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced a retreat on the company’s cultural and political battle with the Florida government and Gov. Ron DeSantis over the Parental Rights in Education Act.

Iger, who recently replaced former CEO Bob Chapek, said at a town hall he is “sorry” to see Disney “dragged” into the fight, vowing to “quiet things down.”

When asked on how Disney will handle the dissolution of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, in accordance with a new Florida law signed by DeSantis earlier this year after the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ political battle, Iger expressed regret and uncertainty.

“Have you given any thoughts on how to tackle the Reedy Creek situation in Florida?” he was asked, replying, “No. I have to get up to speed on that completely.”

In what Rufo described as a full “retreat,” Iger backtracked on the company’s former vows to go to war with the Florida government: “I was sorry to see us dragged into that battle and I have no idea exactly what its ramifications are in terms of the business itself, what I can say is the state of Florida has been important to us for a long time and we have been very important to the state of Florida.”

Iger said that at the moment, Disney has no immediate plans on dealing with the dissolution of the company’s independent district.

On politics in general, Iger toed the line, saying the company will never “make everybody happy all the time, and we’re not gonna try to.”

The new CEO said Disney will still promote “inclusion” but must “listen to an audience” and have “respect” for the listeners.

“To the extent that I can work to quiet things down, I’m going to do that,” he said.

Taking a victory lap on Tucker Carlson Tonight, DeSantis rebutted the notion that Disney was “dragged” into the battle by anyone other than themselves.

“We didn’t drag them in Tucker, they went in on their own and not only opposed the bill, they threatened to get it repealed,” DeSantis said. “They brought this on themselves. All we did was stand up for what’s right and yes, they’re a big powerful company. But you know what? We stand up for our folks and I don’t care what a Burbank based California company says about our laws.”

After the battle, subscriber growth domestically for Disney+ slowed to a near halt and the company’s reputation took a hit.

Former CEO Chapek announced a hiring freeze months after the entrenched political war, with Iger recently saying it will remain in place as he restructures the company.

“There is no more status quo. But the sun comes up and the world still spins,” Iger reportedly said at a private town hall.

In a memo from Chapek before he was ousted, the company planned to initiate a hiring freeze, layoffs and cost cuts, with the company’s stock share value falling around 38% in 2022. Iger said he has no plans to change that.

“It felt like it was a wise thing to do in terms of the challenges, and at the moment, I don’t have any plans to change it,” he said.

As CEO, Chapek took a centralized approach to company decision-making. Iger said it will take time to redo the structure of Disney, which he says will be done in conjunction with other executives.

Under Chapek, Disney took reputational fire and hits during the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ left-wing campaign against the Florida government and Gov. Ron DeSantis for passing a new law protecting children from grooming and implantation of sexual ideology, regardless of orientation.

Florida’s new Senate and House are supermajority Republican, and leaders have indicated the K-3 age range for protections may expand as parental rights and children’s safety grow more important to the public.

“I think if we have the supermajority we’re looking for in the house and the senate, we may be able to expand that bill,” Passidomo told Florida’s Voice before the November elections.

“We have made great strides in recent years to defend and expand parental rights in education,” Passidomo said to the new chamber. “Moving forward, we are going to make sure that any decision that involves a minor allows the parents at the table.”

House Speaker Paul Renner also said the legislature is set to “respect parental rights” and keep children safe.

“We will continue to reward our best teachers and staff, respect parental rights, and expand educational freedom. By providing more funding and flexibility, we will deliver a bright future to Florida’s next generation,” he said.