The four children of company executive Roy E. and their brother Timothy and sister Susan Lord are not very close - to each other or to other members of the Disney clan, Korkis said. Chris Pizzello/Invision/APĭespite the effusive praise, Abigail, Roy P. Disney and his three siblings are said to not be close to each other or their cousins. “Today I am busting with pride at what my brother and his wife have done,” tweeted Abigail on April 8. He also gave $5,600 in donations to the Republican National Committee in 2020, according to public records. He pledged $500,000 to the Human Rights Campaign, the country’s largest LGBTQ advocacy group that he said he has supported for more than 20 years. “Equality matters deeply to us, especially because our child, Charlee, is transgender and a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community,” Roy P.
He added that he and his wife Sheri are “heartbroken” over the DeSantis legislation. AFP via Getty ImagesĮarlier this month, Roy P., a California-based investor and keen sailor, publicly revealed that his stepchild, Charlee Corra, is trans. Abigail Disney is the most outspoken family member, criticizing the Disney theme parks’ employee wages, among other matters. Disney, 65, has also lined up behind his sister to blast the Florida governor. Everyone of all ages, races, religions getting along together and being happy.”īut the recent actions by the Florida governor - who pushed Florida legislators last week to end the conglomerate’s special self-governing status, which could cost the company millions of dollars a year in fees and taxes - against the Disney brand have turned an unwelcome spotlight on the descendants of Roy and Walt Disney. When Walt took Billy Graham on a tour of Disneyland, the evangelist commented that the theme park offered “an amazing fantasy,” said Korkis. Walt Disney never wanted his family involved in the business, which was all about selling escapism and fantasy, Korkis said: “The happiest place on earth.” Walt Disney reportedly did not want his family involved in the business, which is now worth more than $67B. Most family members have tried to keep a low profile over the years: quietly working on philanthropic pursuits such as the the Disney Family Museum in San Francisco and Abigail Disney’s Daphne Foundation, which has doled out more than $600,000 to minority empowerment and anti-violence groups in New York City, according to its latest federal tax filing. “Some of the family members have worked regular jobs at the company, but thanks to their stock portfolios they do what they want,” Korkis said. In any case, three generations of Disney fortunes - from family trusts, foundations and stock holdings - are still tied to the brand, headquartered in Burbank, Calif.ĭeSantis says Disney ‘crossed the line’ with criticism of Fla. He added that the Disney family no longer has any control over the publicly traded company - worth more than $67 billion and employing more than 220,000 people, according to its 2021 annual report - and that it’s unclear how much they own in shares. “She is a fiery advocate, and the wildcard of the family,” said Korkis. The extended family is now said to be “not unified.” Getty Images Walt Disney’s brood reportedly did not have much to do with the children of his brother Roy. In the past, the documentary filmmaker has slammed her family’s company for poor treatment of its amusement park workers and even labeled her great-uncle Walt Disney a misogynist, a racist and an anti-Semite. She has publicly railed against Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill - which was signed into law March 28 and prohibits teachers from discussing sexual orientation with students between kindergarten and third grade.
She is one of the granddaughters of the company’s co-founder Roy O. The most outspoken is Abigail Disney, 62. “The family is not unified whatsoever,” said Korkis. “They have always been extremely private.”īut recently, some of the more progressive members of the clan - which is not close-knit - are rocking the boat. “In general, the whole family is very conservative and they keep to themselves,” author and Disney family historian Jim Korkis told The Post. Ron DeSantis began his attacks against the Walt Disney Company last month - over its opposition to his so-called “Don’t Say Gay” legislation - the Disney family did what it has done for decades: Mostly stayed silent.
‘Going to war with Mickey Mouse’: Buttigieg targets GOP over Disney feudĭis-knee: Employee blasted after ruining marriage proposal at Disneyland Paris We paid $2,750 to have Mickey and Minnie at our wedding instead of foodĮx-Disney star Stoney Westmoreland to serve 2 years in jail for sex crimes