Key Points
- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been embroiled in a yearlong spat with Disney.
- The controversy is continuing to pile on, with Mr DeSantis angered by Disney's move to control its region.
- With Donald Trump siding with Disney, Mr DeSantis faces a larger political battle over the issue.
A conservative American governor battling with Disney might sound like the plot of a bad movie, but this exact situation is playing out in Florida right now.
Florida's Republican governor Ron DeSantis and the multinational entertainment company have been embroiled in a heated debate since last year.
Now, the battle between the entertainment giant and the possible White House contender has escalated, with Disney suing Mr DeSantis.
In its lawsuit, Disney accused the governor and his supporters of illegally using the state government to "punish" a company for voicing an opinion that should be protected by free-speech rights.
In recent months, Mr DeSantis has stripped Disney of its self-governing status and even threatened to open a prison near its Florida theme park.
Here's what the feud is all about.
Who is Ron DeSantis?
Ron DeSantis has served as Florida governor since January 2019, and was re-elected in a landslide victory in 2022.
He is widely tipped to take on Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
One of the defining achievements of Mr DeSantis's political career has been legislation, signed in March 2022, that bans discussion and education around LGBTIQ+ sexuality and gender identity in schools.
The rules were initially limited to kindergarten through third grade, but this week the state's Board of Education approved an expansion to years four through 12.
The Parental Rights in Education Act, dubbed the 'Don't Say Gay' law by critics, has been criticised by LGBTIQ+ activists as discriminatory.
So why is he being sued by Disney?
Some Disney workers protested against the law in support of LGBTIQ+ people, prompting the then-CEO Bob Chapek to denounce the legislation.
Anger from Disney staff was also fuelled by the corporation's previous political donations and initial silence from executives.
However, when company figures went public with their opposition, Mr DeSantis vowed to take on "woke Disney".
It started with the Florida legislature passing a bill to give Mr DeSantis effective control over a board that oversees a special district encompassing the state's Walt Disney World resort.
The bill reversed a 56-year arrangement that saw Disney run its resort area as a self-governed mini-state and designated special tax district.
Before the new board - appointed by Mr DeSantis - took over, Disney's executives quickly pushed through contractual changes that would maintain their control of the area.
The contract allows Disney to maintain the power of future construction over the district for "21 years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of King Charles III, king of England".
Now, the government is working to void that last-minute contract.
"They [Disney] are not superior to the people of Florida. And so come hell or high water, we're going to make sure that policy of Florida carries the day," Mr DeSantis said.
"We're going to look at things like taxes on hotels, we're going to look at things like tolls on the roads, we're going to look at things like developing some of the property that the district owns."
While Florida's legislators sought to nullify Disney's changes, the new board laid out plans including higher taxes and building houses on land surrounding the theme park. An investigation has been ordered into the corporation.
Last week in a press conference, Mr DeSantis even alluded to opening a state prison and a competing amusement park to spite the corporation.
Hours after his comments, Disney announced it would hold its first LGBTIQ+ event at Disneyland in California during Pride Month in June.
Disney's CEO Bob Iger has described Mr DeSantis's targeting of Disney as "anti-business" and "anti-Florida".
Disney CEO Bob Iger has described Mr DeSantis's targeting of Disney as "anti-business" and "anti-Florida". Source: AAP / Mark Lennihan/AP
In the action filed in federal court in Tallahassee, Disney said it aimed to protect Disney World's employees, guests and developers from "retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint unpopular with certain State officials."
"Disney now is forced to defend itself against a State weaponizing its power to inflict political punishment," the company said.
Disney's lawsuit alleges the board appointed by DeSantis violated the company's contract rights, and did so without just compensation or due process.
The company is asking the court to declare Florida's legislative action unlawful.
Will being sued by Disney impact Ron DeSantis's political career?
Mr DeSantis being sued by Disney could come with consequences, as he is seemingly preparing to make an announcement of his candidacy for the Republican presidential ticket.
The Disney-DeSantis spat has already been mentioned by the frontrunner for the US Republican candidacy, Donald Trump.
Earlier this week on Truth Social, Mr Trump said "DeSanctus" - a nickname he has coined for his competitor - is being "absolutely destroyed by Disney" and has called his back-and-forth with the corporation a "PR stunt".
Former US president Donald Trump and Florida governor Ron DeSantis. Source: Getty / SOPA Images
Mr DeSantis has rarely pushed back against Mr Trump's repeated attacks against him, due to what analysts say is fear of angering Republican voters who are also Trump supporters.
But this week, a fundraising group in support of DeSantis released an advertisement targeting Mr Trump with the title: "Fight Democrats, not Republicans", referencing Mr Trump's criminal allegations in New York this month.
"Donald Trump has been attacked by a Democrat prosecutor in New York. So why is he spending millions attacking the Republican governor of Florida?" the ad said.
