Attorney for former Marvel executive Victoria Alonso says she was silenced as 'a gay Latina.' Disney calls claim 'unfortunate'

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 violated her 2018 employment contract with Disney by producing the film "Argentina, 1985," which was made by a competing studio, Amazon, and released on Prime Video.

The film was nominated for an Oscar for international feature this year. Alonso was one of multiple producers on the project.

Sources close to Disney said Alonso was not terminated after she violated the contract but was given a new employment agreement and was told not to continue promoting the film. Alonso, however, subsequently gave an interview to IndieWire about the movie and walked the Oscars red carpet to support it.

Alonso's lawyer, Hollywood power player Patty Glaser, blasted the emerging narrative of the reasons for the executive's firing 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.

Alonso has long been vocal on human rights and diversity issues. In April 2022, when accepting an award from GLAAD in Los Angeles, Alonso spoke about a lengthy conversation she had with Chapek about Disney's response to Florida's anti-LGBT law.

"So I ask you again, Mr. Chapek: Please respect — if we're selling family — take a stand against all of these crazy outdated laws," she said at the event. "Take a stand for family."

Glaser said Alonso "was terminated when she refused to do something she believed was reprehensible," without giving specifics.

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