John Oliver calls Disney 'morally bankrupt' for donating to 'Don't Say Gay' bill politicians

John Oliver isn't banking on returning to the Lion King movies as the voice of Zazu, not after his Last Week Tonight segment on Sunday.

Oliver dedicated a good chunk of his HBO late-night show to talk to the situation with Disney and Florida's so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill.

Citing reports that Disney donated approximately $300,000 to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the other politicians who voted for the bill, Oliver called the Mouse House "morally bankrupt." Specifically, he said, "Now, are they morally bankrupt for doing that? Who's to say? I'll tell you: I am. I am to say. After all, I'm Zazu."

EW reached out to a Disney spokesperson for comment.

House Bill 1557, or the Parental Rights in Education bill, passed the Florida House and Senate, and all signs point to it being passed into law. The bill, dubbed by critics as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, seeks to ban instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity "in kindergarten through grade 3."

Supporters of the bill claim HB1557 is to prevent children from dealing with anything of a sexual nature, but the terminology is so broad that it's unclear where the line between discussion and instruction of LGBTQ topics. The bill also stipulates instruction on the subjects would be banned in higher grades when considered not "age-appropriate." The politicians supporting the bill also have a history of spreading anti-LGBTQ beliefs. As Oliver says in his Last Week Tonight segment, it's pretty clear who exactly is being targeted by this bill.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek wrote an email to his staff early on saying the company would remain silent on the matter. "The best way for our company to bring about lasting change is through the inspiring content we produce, the welcoming culture we create, and the diverse community organizations we support," Chapek wrote. This drew the ire of LGBTQ employees at Pixar and their worker allies, who penned a letter stating, in part, that Disney has a history of censoring LGBTQ relationships and "affection" in their films.

Oliver also pointed out Disney's problematic history, noting a pattern of queer-coding a number of Disney villains, including The Little Mermaid's Ursula, Peter Pan's Captain Hook, Aladdin's Jafar, and The Lion King's Scar.

Chapek spoke more on the matter during a Disney shareholders call where he formally denounced the Florida bill. Oliver played a soundbite from Chapek during said call, in which the CEO mentioned, "When we donate money to different political candidates, we have no idea how they're going to vote going forward into the future."

"That is such bulls---," Oliver said. "It is actively insulting, because it's just not how donating works. When you donate money, you generally know what the recipient is going to do with it. That is why people donate to 'Feeding America' and not 'Feeding America or Maybe Taking Food Away From America.'"

Disney should have had a pretty good idea of how someone like Florida State Senator Dennis Baxley would vote when the company gave him money, Oliver adds, "given that he's not been shy about sharing his views on a host of topics." The host pointed to how Baxley previously supported legislation "to repeal protections of LGBTQ workers and legalize gay conversion therapy."

"Marginalized creators have made billions of dollars for Disney," Oliver said later in the segment. "Now, should it embarrass them that it took them until this week to realize that they shouldn't take that money and use it to actively undermine those creators' interests? Who's to say? I'll tell you. I am. I'm Zazu, remember? And while I haven't been invited back for the prequel yet, after tonight I've got a pretty good feeling about it."

Related content:

• Pixar employees say Disney has censored LGBTQ stories 'down to crumbs of what they once were'
• Disney reverses course by speaking out against Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill, pledges $5 million to LGBTQ organizations