Bob Iger Promises to Work to ‘Quiet’ Political Controversy at Disney Following Company’s DeSantis Spats

Disney CEO Bob Iger doesn’t like the political and culture war controversies which have embroiled the House of Mouse in recent years.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) and Disney have openly feuded since the company took public issue with the governor. Iger, who came out of retirement to resume a position he left in 2020, said at a recent town hall with employees that he is looking to steer the company away from “controversy.”

“Do I like the company being embroiled in controversy? Of course not. It can be distracting, and it can have a negative impact on the company. And to the extent that I can work to kind of quiet things down, I’m going to do that,” Iger said in video first shared by journalist Christopher Rufo.

The CEO did note that some issues are branded political when they are not, insisting Disney will continue pushing for inclusion in its storytelling.

“One of the core values of our storytelling is inclusion and acceptance and tolerance,” he said at one point. “And we can’t lose that.”

When specifically asked later though about the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, referred to as the “don’t say gay bill” by critics, Iger toed a cautious line, saying the company will work to “respect” its audience and the find a “delicate balance.”

“We’re certainly not going to lessen our core values to make everybody happy all the time,” he said.

Iger also emphasized listening to the audience and not growing a “disdain” for the people you are trying to reach with a message.

“When you tell stories, there’s a delicate balance,” he said. “You’re talking to an audience, but it’s also important to listen to an audience. It’s important to have respect for the people you are serving, that you are trying to reach and not have disdain from.”