THR was the original source that ran the story, is what I'm referring to, with the most "evidence," and everyone else in the press parrotted it.
Simply put, the whole idea of Lasseter being "creepy because he gives bear hugs" is quite a stretch. For all the "But what if it violates their boundaries?" question, that still doesn't mean much. After all, Lasseter's penchant for hugs was well-known, especially in reporting glowingly about Pixar in the '90s, as proof that he's such a childlike and kindhearted man who hasn't lost touch with his innocence. And now, because of the current social climate, that gets taken out of context. These people that complained aren't lying per se, but they have basically been gaslit by society into questioning their memories and rewriting history.
All the talk about "he's got a real problem with alcohol" is gossip and hearsay, never verified. And if, for the sake of argument, it IS true, then the tone of the piece was to shame and belittle a man struggling with a disease, treating it as a moral failing. We're understanding and kind about people hooked on opioids and say how it's not their fault, but if someone famous apparently loves wine too much, they're a creep, a lecher, and an alkie loser.
The reports of Lasseter being tyrannical also simply do not make sense at all. Not only is this completely at odds with everything we've known about him, there's no true explanation of how such a shift could occur. Especially if they add something like "It was so worrisome that even Steve Jobs had to lecture him about it." EXCUSE ME? Someone like Jobs, who was known as effectively being a bully, but an effective one, at Apple, would lecture someone else about their failings? That's completely out of character for Jobs. He would just refer to someone as a "bozo" and be done with them, like he did with John Sculley and Gil Amelio. He'd never look at Lasseter as a "bozo."
But, because of the fact this was a climate where it is easy to make people fall with just the slightest whisper of allegations, whether proven or not, Disney, but most especially Horn, chose to throw Lasseter to the wolves to pacify a YouTube/social media lynch mob. And this happened around the same time Horn would do so again by firing James Gunn over specious reasons. Disney needed to get out ahead, make a statement showing support for both of them, and especially saying, "We know John Lasseter and have worked with him for decades. This story has nothing to do with the man we know and love and who has brought us all, and you, great joy. We are honored to have him."
Simply put, Horn, being the person he is, the one who would've led Disney into a new Dark Age had he stayed, ruined things, because that's his nature. Horn is the very essence of failing upward, having no actual success of his own, and taking credit for others. (Solo flopping is on him for releasing it in May; it has nothing to do with Kathleen Kennedy). That's especially why he basically ruined Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne and moved to effectively destroy New Line Cinema, ripping out its soul. He's very much like Aerosmith's former manager Tim Collins, someone who lights ground fires but moves to put them out and be declared a hero for his own handiwork. But Iger calls him "the best hire I ever made," simply because he sucked up to him so much, it's obscene. But he's gone now.
Lasseter is clearly hurt and betrayed by all of this, but he's too nice to come out and directly go to the mat, defend himself, file a wrongful termination lawsuit. But you can tell he didn't actually want the Skydance job or to work on material for them, his heart isn't in it. He wants nothing more than to be with Pixar, his baby, where he devoted his life, blood, sweat and tears for. But if Iger/Disney ever offered him a chance to come back, he'd take it without hesitation, and his cloud would lift.
