Pixar's executive on leave amid claims of inappropriate

Pixar and Disney's executive John Lasseter, who has won two Academy awards for his work in animation, has taken a leave of absence after allegations of inappropriate behaviour surfaced against him.
Lasseter holds the post of Chief Creative Officer at Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, and Principal Creative Advisor at Walt Disney Imagineering.
Lasseter, considered a force to reckon with in the animation industry, is credited for turning Pixar into an entertainment giant. At Disney, he turned around the fortunes of the struggling company. He has even been called a successor to Walt Disney himself.
He directed a number of projects which includes "Toy Story" (1995), "A Bug's Life" (1998), "Toy Story 2" (1999), "Cars" (2006), and "Cars 2" (2011).

In a memo to Pixar employees, Lasseter announced his decision to take a break for six months after he had "difficult conversations".
"It's never easy to face your missteps, but it's the only way to learn from them... It's been brought to my attention that I have made some of you feel disrespected or uncomfortable. That was never my intent," Lasseter said.

"I especially want to apologise to anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug or any other gesture they felt crossed the line in any way, shape, or form. No matter how benign my intent, everyone has the right to set their own boundaries and have them respected," he added.

A report in The Hollywood Reporter states that he is known in the industry for hugging employees and others.
Some women claimed that Lasseter would make inappropriate comments about women, or touch them on their legs or backs.
"You'd hug him and he'd whisper in your ear, a long time," an ex-employee said.
"He hugged and hugged and everyone's looking at you. Just invading the space," she added.
In a statement, a Disney spokersperson said, "We are committed to maintaining an environment in which all employees are respected and empowered to do their best work."
"We appreciate John's candour and sincere apology and fully support his sabbatical," he added.

Lasseter is the latest figure in Hollywood to be accused of sexual harassment and news comes amid a wave of allegations in Hollywood, which began with exposes on media mogul Harvey Weinstein.