REPORT: Disney Employees in Revolt Against Bob Iger, "It's Like Chapek on Steroids"

Change is the theme at The Walt Disney Company right now, and CEO Bob Iger is taking the brunt of the blame.

Since President Donald Trump returned to office last month, a slew of executive orders has begun to action several of MAGA’s campaign promises. A significant chunk of these have targeted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, leading to these programs being defunded and banned within the federal government, plus legal action by the administration against media companies with similar policies.

This includes Trump’s $20 billion lawsuit against CBS and the launch of an investigation into Comcast‘s policies, all in the name of tackling “the scourge of DEI.”

In the meantime, several major companies have started rolling back their own DEI programs – including Disney. On Tuesday, a global memo confirmed that it was changing its DEI programs to instead focus on “business goals and company values.”

The memo – penned by Disney’s chief human resources officer, Sonia Coleman – added that the “Reimagine Tomorrow” site will be rebranded as “MyDisneyToday,” which will focus on attracting top talent and creating a culture where welcomes all communities. “We create entertainment that appeals to a global audience,” wrote Coleman. “And having a workforce that reflects the consumers we serve helps drive our business.”

An NPR report previously found that Disney’s 2024 annual report axed mentions of its “Reimagine Tomorrow” program, an online space that aims to amplify underrepresented voices. Disney has also rolled back its content warnings on its Disney+ streaming service.

Disney Employees Speak Out Against Bob Iger

Amid these changes, Deadline claims that Disney employees are unhappy with the current situation within the company.

“It’s like Chapek on steroids!” an insider told the publication, referring to the 2022 incident in which the company initially hesitated to speak out against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ infamous “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

They added that the fate of Disney’s diversity initiatives was “uncertain,” questioning, “What’s next? Where do we go from here? What do we stand for now, keeping MAGA happy? This is not what I expected from Bob — I thought he had our back.”

According to Deadline, many Disney employees feel that the current Iger era is a stark contrast to the previous one, where the company took firm stances. In 2018, Iger supported the swift cancellation of the Roseanne revival after Barr’s racist tweets and brushed off a Twitter attack by Trump. Today, however, insiders are frustrated with Disney’s efforts to win over conservatives, instead of taking a clear stand on issues, impacting both employees and talent relationships.

However, executives at the company have reportedly insisted that Disney has made fewer changes to appease Trump and its conservative consumers than other companies, such as Amazon and Google. Other recent adjustments from Disney include axing a transgender storyline from the Disney+ series Win or Lose, which some employees allegedly claimed was an example of the company “pandering to MAGA.”

Bob Iger famously returned to The Walt Disney Company as CEO on November 20, 2022, after his successor, Bob Chapek, was removed from the position. Iger had previously announced his plans to retire in 2020 and was gone for just one year before being brought back on board. During his first stint, Iger was a popular figure within the Disney community, with his return initially sparking positive responses after Chapek’s short but widely criticized reign.

How do you feel about Disney’s recent changes under the Trump administration and Bob Iger 2.0?