Disney CEO responds to DeSantis claims that the company is sexualizing children: ‘Preposterous and inaccurate'

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Disney CEO responds to DeSantis claims that the company is sexualizing children: ‘Preposterous and inaccurate'

Bob Iger, the CEO of Disney, responded directly to criticism from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that his company was "sexualizing children" Thursday.

Disney CEO Bob Iger directly responded to criticism from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and conservatives that the company is sexualizing children. 

"We are a pre-eminent entertainer in the world, and we're proud of our track record there. The notion that Disney is in any way sexualizing children, quite frankly, is preposterous and inaccurate," Iger said during an interview on CNBC Thursday. 

DeSantis has repeatedly railed against Disney over the past year, calling the company "woke" and even pursuing legal action against the entertainment giant in court. 

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Disney CEO Bob Iger directly responded to criticism from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and conservatives that the company is sexualizing children.  (AP)

At a town hall in New Hampshire in June, DeSantis accused Disney of inserting "sexualized content" into its programming for children. 

"We’ve put this company on a pedestal — in the past it has been like the all-American company," DeSantis said. "But they’ve really embraced the idea of getting the sexualized content in the programming for the young kids. And that is just a line that I am not willing to cross."

Iger, who is extending his time as CEO of Disney through 2026, claimed that he has been forced to push back on DeSantis' legal attacks on his company. 

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At a town hall in New Hampshire in June, DeSantis accused Disney of inserting "sexualized content" into its programming for children.  (Team DeSantis)

"We are concerned that [DeSantis] has decided to retaliate against the company for a position that the company took on pending legislation in that state," referring to the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill in Florida, which was designed to protect young children from learning about sexual orientation and gender identity.

Iger said that Disney's response to the bill was also an attempt to protect the business as a whole. "We have filed a lawsuit to protect our First Amendment rights there and to protect our business, frankly." 

The Disney CEO also spoke out about the culture wars. 

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"The last thing that I want for the company is for the company to be drawn into any culture wars. We have operated for almost 100 years as a company making product that we actually are proud of in terms of its impact on the world."