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Pixar’s John Lasser is taking a leave of absence after sexual harrassment complaints came up.

Today news broke regarding Pixar’s John Lasseter taking a leave of absence from the company after what he acknowledges are “missteps” after several “painful conversations” were brought up.

In a memo that he released to staff today, Lasseter wrote:

“I have always wanted our animation studios to be places where creators can explore their vision with the support and collaboration of other gifted animators and storytellers. This kind of creative culture takes constant vigilance to maintain. It’s built on trust and respect, and it becomes fragile if any members of the team don’t feel valued. As a leader, it’s my responsibility to ensure that doesn’t happen; and I now believe I have been falling short in this regard. I’ve recently had a number of difficult conversations that have been very painful for me. It’s never easy to face your missteps, but it’s the only way to learn from them.”

via The Hollywood Reporter

Lasseter has been around since Pixar’s inception.  He is one of the founders of the company, having been with them since the group was still under Lucasfilm. Because of him and Ed Catmull, they were able to popularize the 3D animation style that has now become a staple for anything animated for the public view. He is recognized as the one primarily responsible for the creation of the critically acclaimed film, Toy Story, and had also worked on the soon-to-be released COCO.

Rumors about Lasseter have been flying around for some time since Rashida Jones and Will McCormack left the Toy Story 4 project. However, neither Rashida Jones, Will McCormack, or Disney have been available for comment.

What do you think of this news? Please let us know in the comments below.

(Source: The Hollywood Reporter)

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Sarah Musnicky

Sarah is a freelance writer and self-described workaholic. She loves fantasy and sci fi and will admit having dual loyalties between Star Trek and Star Wars as well as Marvel and DC. When she's not being socially awkward, she is in a corner obsessing over dragons, cute things, and a need to master all languages on the planet. She would like to be a professional blanket burrito when she reaches the peak of maturation.