An Employee of Disney Is Suing the Firm Over a Sexual Assault Coverup by an Executive


A Disney employee has filed a lawsuit against the business, accusing it of covering up a pattern of sexual assault by a high-ranking executive and retaliating against her after she revealed her story.

The complainant, known in the lawsuit as Jane Doe, claims that former Vice President of Distribution Nolan Gonzales sexually harassed and assaulted her in 2014, shortly after she was employed, creating an environment in which he was “free to harass women with impunity.”

“Management was incentivized to hide Gonzales’s harassment because he generated valuable revenue,” according to the complaint.

Gonzales’ aggressive behavior was a “open secret” within the organization, according to the complaint, with several reports and accusations against him stretching back years.

According to the lawsuit, despite past allegations, Disney management failed to take corrective action against Gonzales.

The complainant also says that Gonzales assaulted her while she was asleep in 2017 using ecstasy and a date rape drug.

Furthermore, the complaint alleges that he “used his position of power and blackmail” to pressure her into having sexual relations with him. In 2018, Gonzales allegedly threatened to “ruin her career” if she sought to break up with him by exposing private tapes of their interactions.

According to the accuser, Gonzales’ history of sexual misconduct was known to management, who claimed refused to perform a comprehensive investigation or take any action against him for years, and that she was not his “first victim nor his last.”

“Women were discouraged to come forward about his behaviours because management seemingly accepted Gonzales conduct as being part of the entertainment industry and his firing would hurt the company financially,” according to the complaint.

Gonzales resigned in 2022, according to the complaint, after three more women accused him of sexual harassment. Meanwhile, according to the complaint, Disney attempted to retaliate against her by demoting her last year.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney is being sued by over 9,000 female employees who allege they are paid less than men for the same work. The complaint is one of the largest for unequal pay ever filed.