Disney hires pit bull lawyer to try and hobble publication of unflattering new book about thin-skinned ex-CEO Bob Iger... despite his wife being a dean of JOURNALISM
Former Disney CEO Bob Iger has a hotshot media lawyer pushing back on an unsanctioned biography on the company's dime, according to a new report.
The House of Mouse pegged 'pit-bull' attorney Charles Harder for the assignment sometime after the book's announcement, according to the Friday Puck piece. The word is that the move was made on Iger's behalf, sources said.
The report notes Iger's own status as a free-press advocate, and that his wife, Willow Bay, is the dean of the University of Southern California's school for journalism. Disney is also the parent company of ABC News.
Iger, 75, stepped down as CEO last month. He remains at the company, however, as a senior advisor.
The book, tentatively titled The House of Mouse: Bob Iger and the Fight for the Soul of Disney, is set to spill on the circumstances surrounding his first exit in 2020.
He was brought back barely two years later, following a chaotic pandemic-era stint by Bob Chapek.
Harder, 56, is best known for representing Hulk Hogan in a case against Gawker that saw the late wrestler awarded $140 million in damages in 2016.
He has also repeatedly represented members of the president's family, such as the first lady, Jared Kushner, and Donald Trump himself. He handled Trump's defamation suit against former porn star Stormy Daniels, for instance.
Former Disney CEO Bob Iger with wife Willow Bay at the 2024 Oscars. Bay is the dean of the University of Southern California's school for journalism. Her husband is masterminding a potential intimidation campaign through a lawyer following reports an impending biography is likely to be unflattering, Puck reported Friday
The House of Mouse - seemingly on Iger's behalf - pegged 'pit-bull' attorney Charles Harder for the assignment, according to the report. The LA lawyer is known for helping the late Hulk Hogan to a more than $100 million judgment in 2016
In recent weeks, the LA-based litigator has had his sights set on longtime Wall Street Journal reporter Robbie Whelan and his publisher, HarperCollins, who are behind the looming release.
Whelan, a Journal reporter since 2010, billed it as a look into 'one of the most fascinating personalities in corporate America over the last four or five decades' back in February.
Several threatening letters from Harder, to HarperCollins have followed, per Puck.
In the letters, Disney is demanding more time to 'fact-check' the book, framing Whelan as biased due to his previous style of coverage, sources said.
Longtime Wall Street Journal reporter Robbie Whelan is behind the book, which is being published by Harper Collins
'Fishes for clues as to what is being included' were also seen, according to the report.
The push was described by sources as a potential 'campaign of intimidation,' with Iger being the mastermind.
Harder’s client, however, is technically Disney.
Iger has repeatedly expressed concern to staffers about the potential contents of the book, sources told Puck.
Reporter Matthew Belloni, widely viewed as Hollywood's go-to source for insider information, refused to specify some of its potential contents due to not having 'reported it out himself.'
'Harder, they likely hope, can kill aspects of the book, particularly anything potentially unflattering about Iger,' Belloni wrote.
In 2018, Harder represented Trump for a series of legal demand letters sent to former Trump strategist Steve Bannon and author Michael Wolff, a columnist for The Hollywood Reporter and The Daily Beast.
Iger has repeatedly expressed concern to staffers about its potential contents, sources told Puck
At the time, Wolff was working on Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, which sought to paint a chaotic picture of Trump's White House, using Bannon as a primary source.
That same year, Harder represented Trump in a defamation lawsuit filed by Daniels, which saw the suit dismissed with prejudice and the president reimbursed nearly $300,000 in attorneys fees.
The Daily Mail has approached Disney, Iger and Whelan for comment. The book has yet to receive a release date. Iger retires for good this time at the end of the year.
The reported letter campaign started before Iger forfeited the CEO title last month, when Josh D'Amaro was chosen as his successor.
