LOS ANGELES — An attorney representing former Marvel Studio executive Victoria Alonso, who was fired earlier this week from the Walt Disney Co.-owned superhero juggernaut, is firing back at reports that she was pushed out over an Oscar-nominated film she produced.
The Hollywood Reporter on Friday published a story citing unnamed sources who said Alonso was fired for violating a 2018 employment contract by doing press to promote the film “Argentina, 1985,” which was released by Amazon Studios in the U.S.
The film was nominated for an Oscar for international feature this year. Alonso was one of multiple producers on the project.
Disney has not commented on the firing.
Alonso’s lawyer, Hollywood power player Patty Glaser, blasted the emerging narrative as “absolutely ridiculous” in a statement emailed to the Los Angeles Times.
“The idea that Victoria was fired over a handful of press interviews relating to a personal passion project about human rights and democracy that was nominated for an Oscar and which she got Disney’s blessing to work on is absolutely ridiculous,” Glaser said.
“Victoria, a gay Latina who had the courage to criticize Disney, was silenced,” Glaser’s statement continued, referring to Alonso’s criticism of former Disney Chief Executive Bob Chapek’s weak response to Florida’s so-called "don’t say gay" education law.
Glaser said Alonso “was terminated when she refused to do something she believed was reprehensible,” without giving specifics.
“Disney and Marvel made a really poor decision that will have serious consequences,” the statement concluded. “There is a lot more to this story and Victoria will be telling it shortly — in one forum or another.”
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