{
  "id": 9741524,
  "title": "Former Disney CEOs Bob Chapek and Bob Iger are going after each other again",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/former-disney-ceos-bob-chapek-and-bob-iger-are-going-after-each-other",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-25T00:16:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The A.V. Club",
    "slug": "the-a-v-club",
    "url": "https://www.avclub.com/bob-chapek-bob-iger-public-fighting-again"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a recent turn of events, former Disney CEOs Bob Chapek and Bob Iger have again targeted each other publicly. Chapek, who succeeded Iger in 2020 before being fired and replaced by him in 2022, has released excerpts from his new memoir, Behind The Castle Walls: My Thirty Years At The Happiest Place On Earth. In these excerpts, Chapek accuses Iger of setting him up for failure and suggests that Iger timed his resignation in February 2020 to avoid blame for the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Disney's operations. Chapek, who faced criticism for various decisions during his tenure, including his handling of Florida's controversial 'Don't Say Gay' bill, describes himself as a \"disruptor\" in the book, stating that his ideas were canceled before he could implement them.\n\nIn response, Iger took to the Harvard Business Review, indirectly criticizing Chapek. He spoke about the process of selecting his successor in 2019 and 2020, hinting at the lack of thoroughness in their decision-making. Iger noted that they assumed they knew the person well, which may have been premature given the pandemic's imminent arrival. He also questioned the notion of a fearless leader, suggesting that leaders should show vulnerability without appearing frightened. Both Ceos are currently defending Iger's second choice for successor, Josh D'Amaro, which Chapek acknowledged in his book, suggesting that he had proposed promoting D'Amaro.",
  "summary": "Today, in CEO Public Shit-Talking News: Two former heads of Disney are once again going after each other in front of the eyes of the world, as former CEOs/current Bobs Iger and Chapek have both made public comments this week disparaging the other. Chapek (who took over from Iger when he stepped down from the big chair for the first time in 2020, before getting abruptly fired and replaced by his…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}