Dana Walden Addresses Disney CEO Race and Jimmy Kimmel Controversy
Disney’s future leadership and a recent late-night television suspension were addressed by Dana Walden, Co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment, in a recent interview with Bloomberg’s The Circuit with Emily Chang. The conversation touched on the ongoing speculation surrounding the replacement for CEO Bob Iger and the fallout from controversial comments made by comedian Jimmy Kimmel.
Walden acknowledged the sensitivity surrounding the CEO selection process. “Well, being pit against my colleagues, I don’t appreciate becuase we have amazing relationships. We are a very tight institution,†she stated. Despite the internal competition, Walden expressed confidence in the company’s direction, emphasizing the strength of its leadership team and its ability to “navigate the path into the future.â€
Currently, Walden is considered a frontrunner alongside Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Experiences, who oversees the company’s theme park division. While external candidates have been rumored, other key Disney executives — including Alan Bergman, Co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment overseeing the film business, and ESPN Chairman Jimmy pitaro — are not believed to be actively in contention.
The interview also shed light on the recent suspension of jimmy Kimmel. The late-night host faced backlash and a week-long hiatus from his show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, after making comments regarding a legal case. Walden explained the decision was made to “take the temperature down†amid a highly charged atmosphere.
“We were thinking about one only thing as we made that decision very close to his show going back up on that Wednesday, and that was, the situation was extremely heated,†Walden explained. “We wanted to take the temperature down. We didn’t think that was gonna be possible that night, so we hit pause to have conversations with Jimmy. We wanted to resolve the situation in a certain way to protect our employees, to think about our audience.â€
Notably, former President Donald Trump publicly celebrated Kimmel’s suspension but did not directly contact Disney leadership. “He did not. We did not hear from them,†Walden confirmed when asked if Trump had reached out to her or Bob Iger.
Addressing reports of subscriber losses on streaming platforms like Hulu during Kimmel’s absence, Walden dismissed the claims as “highly exaggerated.†She pointed to the company’s recent earnings report, stating, “You saw the number of subscribers that we reported during our earnings. We had a very strong quarter.I think that this issue is firmly in our past.â€
Walden’s comments offer a rare glimpse into the internal deliberations at Disney during a period of notable change and public scrutiny, signaling a commitment to both navigating leadership transitions and protecting the company’s brand and workforce.
