Disney's Chief Diversity Officer 'Departs' Amidst Box Office Woes And Controversies

Newton's departure comes amidst notable box office failures tied to Disney's diversity and inclusion efforts.

Newton has been serving as Disney's Chief Diversity Officer since 2017, overseeing initiatives to amplify diversity, equity, and inclusion within the company. "Latondra has led the company's strategic diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, including partnering with stakeholders across the enterprise to amplify stories of the world by people around the world. She has been dedicated to ensuring every person sees themselves and their life experiences represented meaningfully and authentically," Coleman said in her letter to the Disney staff.

June 24, 2023

Coleman lauded Newton's contributions to Disney, adding, "I know you all join me in thanking Latondra for her many contributions, including the lasting impact she has had on our employees and our culture." The memo revealed that "Latondra's direct reports will report to Julie Merges on an interim basis until a new DEI leader is identified."

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As Variety revealed, Newton's next move appears to be joining a corporate board and focusing on her creative company. However, her departure comes after a disappointing box office performance by Disney's recent release, Elemental, which introduced the studio's first non-binary character, Lake Ripple, voiced by Ava Hauser, who identifies as non-binary.

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Elemental reportedly grossed a mere $29.6 million over its opening weekend (June 16), marking it as one of the lowest Disney premiers since the late 1990s, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In comparison, this figure is the lowest weekend premiere for a Pixar title since Toy Story's release in 1995.

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Simultaneously, Disney's race-swapped The Little Mermaid reboot, with black actress Halle Bailey in the lead role as Ariel, is also performing below expectations. The movie is projected to underperform in China, one of Hollywood's major markets. Comic Book Resources states, "The film is likely to be Disney's worst-performing Chinese release this year," having generated only $13,000 in pre-sales.

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It's important to note that the Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB) had to apply a different weighting system in rating The Little Mermaid due to "unusual activity" following negative reviews.

These recent underperformances follow the commercial disappointment of Disney's 2022 release, Lightyear. The film grossed $118,307,118 at the box office but had a budget of $200 million, as reported by Box Office Mojo. A subplot featuring a lesbian kiss, which was initially cut but later reinstated in response to employees' criticism of the company's perceived silence on Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis' Parental Rights in Education bill, was a hot topic of controversy.

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Newton's Disney biography indicates her responsibilities included overseeing Disney's diversity and inclusion initiatives and working with various business segments and leaders to uphold Disney's commitment to producing entertainment reflecting a global audience.

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In the wake of George Floyd's death in May 2020, Newton co-signed a memo with Bob Iger and Bob Chapek, pledging to "use our compassion, our creative ideas, and our collective sense of humanity to ensure we are fostering a culture that acknowledges our people's feelings and their pain."

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Before joining Disney, Newton occupied a similar role at Toyota Motor North America, Inc. Her departure marks a significant turning point for Disney as it reassesses its diversity and inclusion strategies amidst underperforming releases and ongoing controversies. The search for a new DEI leader is currently underway.