"It went off like a bomb": Emma Thompson's letter could change the face of #MeToo

Last summer, the former Disney-Pixar leader, John Lbadeter, found himself in a significantly reduced role within the company, he requested a meeting at the WME agency.

Lbadeter, who was charged with badual misconduct, was not a client. He simply wanted to talk to people skilled at rehabilitating some of Hollywood 's biggest stars while he was considering his own return, according to two people present at the meeting who spoke under the guise of' 's''. anonymity because they were not allowed to talk about it in public. [19659002] This ambition is now at the origin of one of the biggest Hollywood controversies since the early chapters of the # MeToo era. Just a week after Disney broke ties with him last month, Lbadeter had been a host at Hollywood financier-producer Skydance Media, sparking industry criticism.

On Tuesday, controversy erupted when a letter from actress Emma Thompson surfaced. strongly criticized both Lbadeter and the company that hired him. Thompson abandoned a film called Luck shortly after hiring Lbadeter. The letter to Skydance's general manager and Oracle clerk, David Ellison, clearly explained why she was leaving the project.

"It's very strange to think that you and your company would consider hiring the same type of reprehensible behavior as Mr. Lbadeter given the current climate," writes Thompson in the published letter. in the Los Angeles Times. "If a man has been touching women inappropriately for decades, why would a woman want to work for him if the only reason he does not touch them improperly now is that his contract stipulates that he must to behave in a "professional" way? "

"If a man has made the women of his company feel underrated and neglected for decades, why should the women of his new business think that the respect he is showing them is something else? what an act his trainer must perform, his therapist and his employment contract? "

Neither a representative of Skydance nor Lbadeter would comment on this story. The Thompson reporter told the star that the journalist no longer had to comment.

Lbadeter's appointment is central to the question of what happens when the alleged perpetrators of #MeToo attempt to return to the market where they were apparently exiled. 19659002] Thompson's comments are at the heart of what happens when a woman with the power to stop that return decides to exercise it.

As the #MeToo movement gained momentum in the fall of 2017, Lbadeter was accused by many female colleagues and collaborators of making unwanted physical contact with them over a period of years. Lbadeter acknowledged unspecified "missteps" in response.

At the time, a number of #MeToo's Hollywood violators were quickly removed from office. But Lbadeter, Pixar's long-time leader and later of Disney's animation studio, was responsible for billions of dollars in revenue for a major media company. even recent successes like Incredibles 2 have been widely developed on his watch.

In a meticulous movement, Disney puts him on leave for six months. In June, at the end of this period, the company announced that it would act as a consultant until the end of the year, when it would leave the company. At the time, Lbadeter said, "The last six months have been an opportunity to reflect on my life, career, and personal priorities while remaining committed to the art of living. Animation and inspired by the creative talent of Pixar and Disney, I decided the end of this year is the right time to start focusing on new creative challenges. "

But Lbadeter was impatient to return to the entertainment sector. Even during his consulting activity, he met regularly with directors and directors of animated films. people familiar with these discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.

Skydance, meanwhile, wanted to have an impact. The company is doing well with some very big budget movies such as Star Trek Franchise movies and Mission: Impossible, but she was new to the world of clubby animation and founded it. the division that in 2017.

Ellison hired a He would have normally had no business on land, making a calculated bet that his employees might forget Lbadeter's important baggage.

"Let's be clear: we did not make this decision lightly," Ellison writes in a note to the staff. "Although we would never downplay subjective opinions about anyone's behavior, we are confident after many background conversations with John and, as the investigation has confirmed, that his mistakes have been acknowledged. are certain that John has learned valuable lessons and is ready to prove his abilities as a leader and colleague. "

He adds:" And he badured that he would behave in a quite professional manner, as Expects all Skydance colleagues and partners. "

But winning it turned out that the staff was not the only constituency Ellison had to worry about. More than other industries, Hollywood does not only prosper in terms of relationships but also on optics. And it is there that the movement is crushed.

The announcement was immediately thwarted by a major player. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mireille Soria, head of Paramount's re-established animation division, was "furious".

Soria's words carry weight: Skydance has a business partnership with Paramount, and Soria gave notes on Luck. The executive, a longtime deputy of animation pioneer Jeffrey Katzenberg, told employees that she would not do it anymore and that they were under no obligation to him. do not either.

Some in Hollywood were wondering how Skydance could attract talent if a respected executive with whom he had business connections was already publicly expressing his discomfort. Soria did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this story.

This was the first blow. The second shot landed on Tuesday.

Activists greeted Thompson's story with a note of celebration. "As soon as I read it, I thought it would change the game," said Melissa Silverstein, director of influential feminist entertainment organization Women and Hollywood.

"It's someone who says everyone is afraid to stay," she said. I said. "She fell like a bomb, and this bomb exploded around the world."

The shrapnel had not yet reached the makers of Luck or other Skydance projects. None of them has been publicly abandoned because of the arrival of Lbadeter.

A long-time leader of the animation industry, The Post, spoke Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the subject's sensitivity, pointed out that if actors as Thompson's voice, which would probably have little real interaction with Lbadeter, would not want to work at Skydance, so how fortunate was the company to attract executives and filmmakers who would meet him regularly? The person stated that she did not see how Skydance could continue to employ Lbadeter

. The scandal also raised a larger issue. When will other accused defendants attempt to return – and what will happen when others respond in response? Louis C.K recently sought to return to the stand-up circuit, with a set that has been heavily criticized in many media quarters. Others will be sure to follow.

Silverstein said that if someone tried to return, he would have to do a lot more than Lbadeter. "You have to acknowledge what you did, you have to be contrite, you have to make a restitution, and that's just the base," she said.

But she also stated that she thought the discussion might be about the wrong

"It should not be a question of whether John Lbadeter would have a second chance, but of all the people whose he derailed the career, "she said. "It's all the people who went to work every day and had to walk in the opposite direction when they saw it coming because it had created a dangerous work area."

This feeling also permeated Thompson's letter.

"A lot has been said about giving John Lbadeter a second chance," she writes. "But he's probably paid millions of dollars to get that second chance." How much are Skydance employees paid to give him that second chance?