Hollywood Elsewhere’s Jeffrey Wells had an interesting observation last night: “Who or what is behind the departures of all those DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) executives?”
He’s right, I hadn’t noticed, but four of them left or got fired from their positions over the last ten days or so.
Disney’s chief diversity officer and senior vp Latondra Newton, exited on June 20 to pursue “other endeavors.” She’s leaving a company that is in utter turmoil with failed tentpoles and consistently weak box-office showings.
Eight days later, Vernā Myers, Netflix’s chief of inclusion strategy since 2018, was canned from her position.
On Friday, two more were laid off: Karen Horne, Warner Bros. Discovery’s SVP of diversity, equity and inclusion and the contributions and Jeanell English, EVP of Impact and Inclusion with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Would you call these four axes total and sheer coincidences? Otherwise, what in the living hell is going here? The Wrap had this to say …
The drive for diversity that picked up prominence with 2020’s Black Lives Matter movement seems to have run its course after just three years.
Were these roles merely lip service all along?