Village People's Lawsuit Against Disney Alleges Hostile Work Environment and Contract Disputes

 A lawsuit has been filed against Disney accusing the company of creating a hostile work environment and banning the iconic 70s group, the Village People.

Karen Willis, the wife of Victor Willis, the lead singer and co-founder of the Village People, initiated the legal action seeking more than $20 million in damages for various alleged grievances. According to documents obtained, the lawsuit was filed late last year on behalf of Victor and the group.

Victor Willis, the sole original member still performing under the Village People name, co-wrote and sang lead on many of the group's classic hits, including "Y.M.C.A.," "Macho Man," and "In The Navy."

The lawsuit claims that the Village People had regularly performed at Walt Disney World in Florida for about a decade until 2018 when a performance reportedly went poorly. Karen Willis alleges that during this event, Disney employees prevented her from accessing the sound booth to monitor the show's audio quality, which she had previously been allowed to do.

She further alleges that both she and Victor were assaulted by individuals she claims were orchestrated by former members of the Village People who had been expelled from the group due to disputes. These incidents allegedly occurred as part of a broader feud involving rights to perform under the Village People name.

The lawsuit also contends that Disney failed to provide adequate security as stipulated in their contract, and there were issues with payments for the 2018 performance, where checks were reportedly issued to incorrect recipients, causing delays in receiving the owed funds.

Following the 2018 performance, Karen Willis asserts that Disney stopped booking the Village People despite previously doing so annually for years. She speculates that this decision may have been retaliation for the dissatisfaction surrounding the 2018 event.

Disney responded to the lawsuit by attempting to have it dismissed, arguing its right not to rehire the Village People, but their motion was recently denied, allowing the lawsuit to proceed.